T&T PM supports Warner

Prime Minister Kamla Persad Bissessar is supporting her embattled senior cabinet minister, Austin ‘Jack’ Warner, who has been suspended by the International Football Federation (FIFA) while bribery allegations against him are investigated.



According to Persad Bissessar, it is a fundamental tenet of the rule of law that a man is innocent until proven guilty and she is standing by Warner.



Yesterday, FIFA pledged to investigate bribery allegations against Warner, former presidential candidate, Mohamed Bin Hammam, and two Caribbean Football Union (CFU) officials, temporarily suspending them from activities connected with the game.



Warner and Bin Hammam have been accused of offering $40,000 to national associations of the CFU at a meeting on May 10 and 11 in the twin island republic, in return for their votes in the FIFA presidential election.



Warner, who is also the Minister of Works and Transport in the five-member coalition administration, has already reacted bitterly to the suspension describing it as an abuse of the process that achieves no real purpose as stated in the decision.



He also said the suspension demonstrates the bias of the enquiry.