PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC) – Trinidad and Tobago police are waiting instructions from the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) Roger Gaspard, after submitting a file on bribery allegations involving former national security minister Austin ‘Jack’ Warner.

Police have been investigation allegations that in May 2011, undeclared sums of US currency were brought into the country and used to bribe officials of the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) during a meeting chaired by Warner, a former CFU and Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football president.

Warner, who subsequently resigned his position as FIFA’s vice president, had urged CFU officials to support Mohamed bin Hammam of Qatar rather than incumbent Sepp Blatter in the FIFA presidential elections.

Acting Police Commissioner Stephen Williams told reporters at the police weekly news conference that “at this point in time, until such time that we get a position in that matter, it (the file) is at the office of the DPP”.

Williams said the investigation began during the tenure of former police commissioner Dwayne Gibbs and after he assumed the post, investigators received fresh communication from the main opposition People’s National Movement involving additional allegations.

Williams said the investigator “did in fact continue the investigation and addressed the issues raised by the Opposition, and when he completed the investigation it was sent to Deupty Commissioner of Police (Mervyn) Richardson, who has forwarded that file to the DPP”.

Last year, Gaspard denied he had never instructed the police to clear Warner of bribery allegations, telling the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) then that he had informed the police that based on the “thread bare information and material” submitted to him he could not determine that any law was broken.

“There is nothing in it for me to suggest or to see any contravention of the laws of Trinidad and Tobago that could mean that you need to go further with the investigation because what they supplied to me was insufficient…

“However I am also of the view that further investigations may be warranted pursuant to the Customs Act, (that deals with the non declaration of a significant money into the country), ” Gaspard said in the written memo to the investigating police officer.

Media reports had earlier quoted then police commissioner Gibbs as having informed the Police Service Commission that “on the advice of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), no further action can be taken in this matter”.

Gibbs said the matter which was alleged to have occurred on or about May 10, 2011, was investigated by the police and the DPP advised the matter can proceed no further.

But Gaspard said that he had never made such a statement, adding “I have not cleared anybody in this matter. Neither have I cleared any police officer to bring the investigations to an end.”