Chaguanas West MPJack Warner has declined to reveal whether he has paid tax to the Trinidad and Tobago finance authorities on the millions of dollars profits his family and their companies have made from his activities as a FIFA vice-president.
The questions have been raised by internationlly acclaimed investigative journalist Andrew Jennings who has been involved in an investigation into the powerful World football body that has spanned over two decades, several continents and resulted in major BBC documentaries and a 2006 expose novel, titled Foul.
Jennings, a British-based journalist who was in Trinidad last week conducting an investigative journalism course for regional reporters, gave an exclusive interview to the Sunday Express on the matter.
He said the Trinidad public needs to know whether Warner has paid taxes on these earnings over the past three years.
"Mr Warner and the Board of Inland Revenue should disclose this information in the public interest, because these deals bring shame on Trinidad and Tobago's international reputation and more importantly, they are of public interest to the people of this country since he is a major politician," Jennings said.
He also called for tax disclosure on another Warner-controlled company - LOC Germany 2006 Ltd - and run by Daryan Warner, allegedly set up to harvest the earnings of the 2006 Soca Warriors and took in millions of dollars from qualifying round ticket sales, TV rights and from sponsors. Most of the squad have still not been paid the money promised in their contracts.
Jennings noted that the Warners have said that the LOC is is a non-profit company but noted:
"That's odd because it has made money and not handed it over to the intendended beneficaries - the Warriors."
He also pointed out that Jack Warner also earns more than TT$600,000 a year from FIFA simply for being a member of the Executive Committee, and according to FIFA rules, it is up to individual members to chose whether they wish to reveal these earnings to their tax authorities back home. Jennings said his investigations have also revealed that Warner earns an estimated TT$600,000 a year from the TT$3,000 a day FIFA pays him when he is travelling on FIFA business. Jennings, who has shown documentation for all his allegations, also pointed out that many FIFA officials are known to leave the money in accounts in Zurich - or repatriate it in cash.
Minutes of a Fifa executive meeting in March 2007 has also shown that Warner, and his son Daryan Warner, were "fined" for secret dealings in ticket sales for the 2006 World Cup. News of the ticket dealings was first disclosed in an Express investigation in 2005.
As Warner is an MP, he is duty bound to declare this money to the Integrity Commission in T&T but the embattled leader of the dissident Ramjack-G faction of the United National Congress refused to answer questions contacted by telephone on Friday morning.
He was specifically asked if he has paid taxes on the profits the Edward Street-based travel agency, Simpaul Travel, made from the 2006 World Cup ticket sales; whether taxes have been paid on the monies owed to the Soca Warriors and if he has paid taxes on his FIFA earnings, as well as declared them to the Integrity Commission.
Warner said:
"Sasha Mohammed, I am not well. I don't know you but you are doing Mr Jennings work. Let Mr Jennings ask those questions, don't do Jennings work. Let Jennings ask me and I will answer. And you can put this in your story. I have nothing to answer."
He then hung up the telephone.