TT assistant coach arrested in Miami

ASSISTANT Trinidad and Tobago football coach Jamaal Shabazz has been detained at the Federal Detention Centre, Miami, for an alleged forged visa. The incident took place on Friday last when Shabazz who also goes by the name Hyron Best, was on his way to attend a coaching course in the United States on behalf of the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federa-tion. Immigration officials discovered Shabazz was in possession of the alleged forged visa, and he has since been held at a detention centre in Miami. It is expected Shabazz who is also head coach of the national women footballers could be detained for up to three months. FIFA vice-president Jack Austin Warner, an advisor of the TTFF, on hearing of Shabazz’s plight yesterday  morning, has gone to his assistance. Warner who is also president of CONCACAF  is in the United States for the current CONCACAF Gold Cup. And he will be in Los Angeles for today’s draw for the 2003 FIFA Women World Cup.

“I have not been able to speak to him (Shabazz) but he has been able to get my emails and has indicated that he is comfortable in light of the circumstances. “We will be trying our utmost to see if we can have him  released sooner than expected,” Warner said. “He (Shabazz) came through the immigration and he was taken in for questioning after they realised the problem with his visa. “He met with FBI and CIA officials and of course, once they heard he was involved in a coup, they immediately panicked and he was taken away,” Warner added. Warner said attorney Nathaniel King who represented Shabazz in 1990 has been contacted so he can provide whatever documents are available in reference to that matter. And Culture and Tourism Minister Pennelope Beckles and her junior minister Eddie Hart have also been contacted to provide character references, which Federal public defender Faith Mesnekoff indicated will be of added assistance. “The occurrence is obviously unfortunate and every effort will be made to assist him (Shabazz) through this difficult period,” Warner said.