Attorneys representing ILP leader Jack Warner claim the extradition matter against their client has been sidelined by the Attorney General Garvin Nicholas as he is contesting the Diego Martin Central constituency in the upcoming September 7 general election.
During the court hearing yesterday Warner’s lead attorney Senior Counsel Fyard Hosein said attorney Brent Hallpike wrote to the defence seeking to have the matter adjourned after the election.
Prior to this, special state prosecutor Israel Khan SC asked for an adjournment stating that the case was a complexed one with international players and that the AG is yet to sign the Authority to Proceed clearing the way for the matter to officially begin.
Khan was boisterous in his objection to Hosein making known the contents of the correspondence between both sides of the legal divide.
He urged Chief Magistrate Marcia Ayers-Caesar not to allow Hosein to use the court as a “political soap box for political advancement.”
On the last court date Warner said he would have filed for judicial review in the matter claiming political bias against him.
Hosein said since his client was arrested on a provisional warrant, the State has made it clear that the matter is urgent and he was amazed that it took 58 days before the record of the case was made available and a further 35 days and still there has been no order given to proceed.
He said that the manner Khan was operating was not fitting for the profession.
He said he was entitled to inform the court of the correspondence and claimed that the State was being “disingenuous.”
“It is wrong for Mr Khan to behave the way he is, Mr Warner is an eminent citizen of this country and he has not been convicted.
The Chief Magistrate then adjourned the matter to September 21 with a stipulation that on or before September 16 the Attorney General will indicate whether the extradition matter will proceed.
Warner, 72, of Cynthia Drive, Five Rivers, Arouca, faces 12 charges related to fraud, racketeering and illegal wire transfers.
The offences are alleged to have taken place in the US, T&T and other jurisdictions between 1990 and June 2011 when Warner quit Fifa.
He is currently on $2.5 million bail.
The Independent Liberal Party leader was arrested on a provisional warrant in May after the US Department of Justice announced the results of their investigation into Warner and 13 of his former colleagues and current Fifa officials.