The empire that Jack built
Jack’s million$: Guardian probes under-fire ILP leader’s assets
Suzanne Sheppard
Published: Guardian
Monday, June 15, 2015
Centre of Excellence, Macoya.
In recent days, investigative news reports have estimated Warner’s wealth to be approximately $1 billion. However, it is difficult to gauge the full extent of his fortune since assets are scattered across a very diverse range of business operations, as well as several local and overseas bank accounts. He is a former schoolteacher whose ascent to positions of power in world football and T&T politics began when he became secretary of the T&T Football Association in 1973.
Austin “Jack†Warner rose from humble beginnings in Rio Claro in south Trinidad, to become president of Concacaf, vice president of Fifa, as well as a senior cabinet minister in the People’s Partnership (PP) administration of Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar. Along the way, he also developed a large family-owned business empire, with establishments across T&T.
there are various ventures, many of them very lucrative, in which Warner, his wife Maureen, and their two sons Darryl and Daryan are listed as directors and majority stakeholders. The Warner family has been under intense scrutiny ever since their patriarch was indicted on May 27 by the US Department of Justice for a series of offences including racketeering, fraud and money laundering. He has also been placed on a wanted persons list by Interpol.
The Independent Liberal Party (ILP) political leader and Chaguanas West MP is currently out on bail, fighting attempts to have him extradited to the United States to face charges. Warner’s two sons have already pleaded guilty to corruption charges and are co-operating with United States investigators. Daryan agreed to forfeit more than US$1.1 million as part of his plea bargain on charges of wire fraud, money laundering and evading financial reporting laws.
Never a stranger to controversy, Warner’s wealth increased as he gained more influence and higher administrative positions within the governing body for football. In 2011, at the time when he parted company with Fifa, Warner’s wealth had been estimated at US$50 million. He and his family reportedly own or have significant stakes in a large number of businesses, ranging from security firms to catering, janitorial services and publishing, as well as vast real estate holdings.
Here are the Jack Warner holdings that we were able to verify:
The Centre of Excellence
Said to be worth US$2.5 million, the multi-purpose facility is currently the subject of a legal dispute between Warner and Fifa. Warner has denied the football organisation’s claim that the facility, which is located in Macoya, was signed over to his family. However, documents obtained by the T&T Guardian in 2013 showed that it is jointly owned by two companies—CCAM and Company Ltd and Renraw Investments Ltd—both part of the Warner family’s business empire. Renraw is “Warner†spelt backwards.
Fifa said it has taken legal steps to recover the ownership of the centre which was a gift from its Brazil-born former president Joao Havelange to the Caribbean Football Union.
Originally intended to be a state-of-the-art training and learning facility for use by Concacaf members, the Centre of Excellence includes the 6,000-seat Marvin Lee Stadium with a full-sized practice field and two mini-fields; the Ken Galt Hall which can accommodate a maximum of 800 people; the Joseph Sepp Blatter Hall with a capacity of 2,000; the Nelson Mandela Room; Le Sportel Inn, which has 44 rooms; Garden Sanctuary; Guillermo Canedo Hall which accommodates a maximum of 6,500; and the Andre Kamperveen Hall.
Simpaul Travel Services Ltd
Established by Warner and his wife, Maureen, in 1997, the company has its main offices at St Vincent Street in Port-of-Spain. Its motto is: We are not a travel agency that does football, we are a football company that happens to work in the travel industry.
The agency secured all of the travel business of the T&T Football Federation (TTFF) during the time when Warner was special adviser to the local football body and his associates, Oliver Camps and Richard Groden, were top TTFF officials. Groden secured Simpaul’s credentials with Fifa’s Ticketing Office (FTO) by naming the agency as the official tour operator of the TTFF.
The agency first came into the spotlight following T&T’s qualification for the 2006 World Cup in Germany when it was investigated by Fifa. According to reports, starting in June 2005, the travel agency was used to sell thousands of World Cup packages of rooms and tickets to agents around the world.
It was further alleged that Warner and his son Daryan, who is listed as managing director of Simpaul, cleared a profit of at least £500,000 on 5,400 tickets for England, Mexico and Japan World Cup matches. However, Warner was subsequently cleared of those allegations by Fifa’s Ethics Committee.
The agency later surfaced in another football controversy when former Fifa presidential candidate Mohamed bin Hammam, in defence of charges brought against him by Fifa’s Ethics Committee, claimed he transferred $2.3 million to the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) to cover travelling and accommodation expenses of delegates at a two-day CFU meeting at the Hyatt Regency in Port-of-Spain. The travelling expenses and bookings were done via Simpaul.
Concacaf’s T&T offices
Among Warner’s many real estate assets in Port-of-Spain is the office building on St Vincent Street, which houses the local operations of Concacaf. The regional football body reportedly pays him nearly US$750,000 a year in rent for that office space.
Emerald Apartments and Plaza
In 1998, the Warner family purchased the Scarlet Ibis Hotel in St Augustine for $6 million and transformed the aging six-storey hotel into elegantly appointed two and three-bedroom apartments and penthouses. Company records show the facility as being run by Warner’s elder son, Daryl.
Kantac Plaza
Located at 131 Eastern Main Road in Warner’s hometown, Arouca, it houses several businesses including the offices of Sunshine Newspaper and Joe Public Football Club.
Joe Public FC
Jack Warner is listed as owner of the popular football club with Daryl as managing director and Vijay Bahgan and Sam Phillip as directors.
