Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar says she is happy for former FIFA Vice-President Jack Warner following news that extradition proceedings were permanently ‘stayed’ by the High Court.
On Tuesday, Justice Karen Reid found that Mr. Warner’s constitutional right to legal protection had been violated, since a key document needed to support the extradition request was missing, rendering the case defective and ultimately ending his decade-long battle to avoid being sent to the United States.
Mrs. Persad-Bissessar told reporters on Tuesday evening that she was unaware of the development at the time, but that she was “happy” for him.
“Well, I wasn’t aware of it. I congratulate him. I’m happy for him. It’s been a long, hard run.”
She also emphasised the importance of judicial processes and the role of the courts in such cases.
“In fact, I read the indictment in the Parliament at the time because they were sent to us by the US, and those proceedings went their way, and, of course, in a court of law now, Mr. Warner will no longer have to be extradited. So some decisions are right on the spot, some are not right on the spot, and that is why we have the courts of law to make decisions when wrongdoing happens.”