COP's business is not my business: Jack Warner

File: Reporters swarm National Security Minister Jack Warner

Jack Warner told reporters Monday the business of the Congress of the People (COP) is not his concern. He was responding to questions about Sunday's rejection by COP of a motion calling for Warner to be dismissed from cabinet. COP Vice chairman Vernon De Lima brought moved the motion, which was soundly defeated.

The National Security Minister said his concern is to deal with issues at his ministry. he wondered why there is so much media focus on him.

"I find it very strange. I don't know anybody in the last few years who have been exposed to the media as I have been. Everybody wants Jack Warner to be moved and you have to ask yourself why. Nobody wanted Martin Joseph to be removed," he said.  Joseph was National Security Minister in the last Manning PNM government.

Warner said major crimes are being committed yet the media focus remains on him.

"I have been appointed to do a job and some people are very frightened. Lawyers feel their business shall be affected if crime goes down. There are those guys who are politicians in the Opposition who have friends for money launderers and they too are concerned, and while all of this is going on, I have nothing to say," he told reporters.

Warner promised that he would deal with crime. "The good news is that the anti crime fighting measures, they have been completed. They are now being packaged to be sent to the Prime Minister this week and they will be sent to the National Security Council next week," he said. 

"All I can tell you is that what I have seen, what I have read, what I have taken part in the last couple days, I am very optimistic that the future of crime reduction is bright. That we shall have it reduced considerably, meaningfully. I am quite confident in the coming weeks that we will make a dent on crime," he said.