FORMER FIFA vice-president Jack Warner extradition proceedings to the United States is on hold.
However, Attorney General Reginald Armour, SC, said he will be speaking to the state’s legal team including Pamela Elder, SC and James Lewis, KC, to look at the decision of the Chief Magistrate Maria Busby-Earle-Caddle.
Armour on Monday called a press conference to speak on the long-standing matter. Warner, a former vice president of FIFA, is wanted in the US on several charges and has been challenging the extradition and was able to have the court refer several questions raised by him regarding his constitutional rights sent to the High Court for determination.
Warner’s team of attorneys, led by senior counsel Fyard Hosein, SC, and Rishi Dass, successfully raised a “specialty argument” at the Magistrates’ Court on March 3 which was initially shut down by the Privy Council last November, Armour said.
This means that his extradition proceedings at the Magistrate Court are now on hold.
With one piece of evidence before her, Armour said he was disturbed that Busby-Earle-Caddle used an affidavit by Warner himself to make her decision.
Armour said, “The Chief Magistrate went on to make findings of fact which disturbed me, and I say that with all due respect because all that was before her was the affidavit of Mr Warner and no evidence from any other parties and no cross-examination of anybody at all.”
He will be awaiting the legal advice on the next steps the Government must take.
Armour said, “I think that this case is one such case and it is clear there will still be some passage of time before the citizenry is going to be able to repose with confidence on the final decision to be made in respect of the request of the United States of America to have Mr Jack Warner extradited to that country to stand trial for serious criminal offences.”
