Jack visits the house that Manning built

Jack Warner has written the General Secretary of the United National Congress (UNC) giving Fazal Karim details of his visit with Prime Minister Patrick Manning on Saturday Jan. 17 at Manning's official residence.

The three-page letter dated Sunday February 1, 2009 reiterated that the visit was at the invitation of Manning and explained that it was a social visit at which Manning asked him about his sporting and political activities and gave him a tour of the new $148 million mansion.

He said when he arrived at the residence he was met by Manning and Herbert Atwell, adding that Hazel Manning joined them for the tour of the house. "It was an extensive tour that left me spellbound especially in terms of the design of the building, the quality of the work done, the time in which it was completed (nine months according to the Prime Minister) and the cost of $148 million as advised by the Prime Minister," Warner wrote.

With respect to the discussions with Manning, Warner told Karim, "…the Prime Minister asked me about my football future in the FIFA, my work in local and regional football generally, whether I am enjoying my stint in politics and about this country's chances in qualifying for the 2010 World cup Final." He said he responded "candidly in every case".

The UNC Deputy leader said the tour of the home followed their discussions, adding that both before and after the tour "we had some refreshments". Warner said the visit ended at around 2.25pm, just under two hours after his arrival at noon. He said he told Manning that he intended to provide his party with full details of the meeting "to which he replied he had to problem". Warner said Manning told him that he could "drop in a visit him at anytime, or words to that effect."

He told Karim that was a "true representation of what transpired" and repeated that the visit was at the request of Manning.

"If by doing so, it gives the leadership of the UNC of which I am still one of the Deputy Political Leaders the right to hurl all kinds of innuendos and invectives against me, then, for me, that is much more than a trust betrayed and not for the first time," Warner wrote. He said he would have more to say on the matter "but at another time and another forum".

Warner wrote the letter early Sunday morning (Feb. 1) immediately on his return to Trinidad from an overseas visit. He said it was necessary for him to report to the UNC's National Executive through the party's general secretary because he had to meet with his constituency Sunday morning.

He said it was also because he won't be able to attend another National Executive meeting until Feb. 18, 2009 since he would be in Switzerland and El Salvador for the weekly meetings of Feb.4 and 11. But he said he felt it was important not to wait that long to report because "…the vicious campaign which has deliberately been orchestrated against me by the Party leadership on this meeting with the Prime Minister".

Warner also reported on a meeting he held in January with Sports Minister Gary Hunt at Hunt's office in Port of Spain. He said he and Hunt had an "extremely cordial" meeting during which "a degree of mutual respect was shown on both sides".

He said he and the minister discussed problems affecting local football, the country's chances for qualifying for the 2010 World Cup final and "how we both should work together to make this a reality". Warner said they agreed "to put the national interest first and to fight, if we have to do so, in other areas outside football".

He said he agreed to meet with Hunt again on Monday, Feb. 2, 2009.