Former FIFA Vice-President Jack Warner has hired a team of attorneys, including British Queen’s Counsel Edward Fitzgerald to fight his extradition to the United States.
Warner, a former Trinidad and Tobago national security minister, and leader of the Independent Liberal Party (ILP) has been indicted by the U.S. Department of Justice on charges of corruption, money laundering and racketeering during his time in FIFA, is free on $2.5 million bail.
He also a member of Parliament for Chaguanas West, Central Trinidad.
So far the U.S. had not yet sent a final request for extradition.
Warner said he intends fighting the extradition, but would go to the U.S. if the court ruled against him.
“It is going to be a long hot summer,” he told supporters at a cottage meeting in South Trinidad last week.
One of his local attorneys Reka Ramjit said the extradition matter could take several years in the local courts.
Attorney Fitzgerald QC is reported to have defended controversial Muslim cleric Abu Hamza and Moors murderer Myra Hindley in the United Kingdom.
Fitzgerald, 61, is a leading Queens Counsel based in London and a staunch opponent of capital punishment who has successfully taken on many death row cases and been handed several human rights legal awards.
He also represented Trinidadian businessman Ish Galbaransingh, a financer of the United National Congress (the major coalition partner in the PP government) who has successfully resisted extradition to the USA for the last 10 years on racketeering and money laundering charges.
He will re-appear in court next Thursday.
