SHALIZA HASSANALI
Senior Reporter
shaliza.hassanali@guardian.co.tt
Keon Warner, the son of Tobago businessman Allan Warner, says his bank is putting pressure on him to service his loans, which involve a large amount of money.
Warner, a director of Warner Group of Companies, of which his father is the chief executive, shot into the spotlight last week when he admitted to making a verbal request for $60 million from Tobago House of Assembly (THA) Chief Secretary, Farley Augustine, for outstanding payments from construction projects that the Warner Construction and Sanitation Ltd (WCSL) firm undertook.
This was after Augustine alleged that the leak of a tape that is now under police probe is part of an extortion plot to get the THA to pay money to WCSL.
Warner promised to sue Augustine for staining WCSL’s name and damaging his reputation. The businessman said the allegations have already diminished his clients’ confidence.
“My lawyers are still drafting the pre-action protocol letters. It has not reached the stage of being filed yet. But when I bring forth this letter, nothing will be excluded. Right now, we are going through everything item by item. It’s a lot,” he said.
In the coming days, Warner said, the legal letters will be filed.
“The only thing that Farley has affected me with is the confidence of my bank because we do owe our bankers a fair bit of money, and they want to know what is the position with the outstanding payments with the THA,” Warner said.
“When Farley makes these kinds of public statements, the banks say, well this thing leading down a course where it’s not looking like you are going to get paid. The bank’s greatest concern is getting their outstanding payments, which are tied up with the THA.”
He said the bank was not interested in the wrangle between Augustine and himself.
“All they want is their money.”
If Warner is unable to fulfil his financial obligations, he said “the bank will do what they have to do.”
That includes levying on his property or properties.
“It is not something that I am afraid of. I always say whatever the bank does as a result of the THA steps and Chief Secretary’s lies, the THA will pay dearly for it. I always say that. It might cause me and my family a little distress, but such is life.”
Asked if he was preparing himself to be blacklisted by his bank, Warner said, “I am hoping that they do to strengthen my case even more against Farley. Please do what you want. Blacklist me. Cut me off. Do as you, please. And Farley Augustine and the THA will pay for that.”
Warner, 43, said while the attack on him was the most “malicious and dirty,” he has faced a lot in life with his business “and there is not an ounce of shamefaced that exists in me.”
However, he added, “I wish I could do business a different way without all this stress. But as long as you are a black man in this country doing work for the Government and engaging in good business, you will have those other people there looking to find some way to come after you.”
Warner said Tobagonians put the PDP in power for betterment, which is certainly not what they are getting bow.
“They didn’t vote for all this bacchanal. It’s too much.”
Maintaining that he has evidence to show that he was never involved in corruption in executing his projects, Warner said, “I know for a fact that I never received an ounce of money for work that was not done. I have nothing to hide. Somebody could offer me $100 million now to do some wrongdoing in the THA or Government and I will not take it because it always ends up the same way.”
He said “with full confidence” that no audit Augustine has could incriminate him or his company.
“I have started taking steps to make sure that my company’s name remains clean. I know coming out of the legal action my name will be cleared, and I will continue to do good business,” he added.
Farley did not respond to calls or WhatsApp messages sent to him last week.