There are serious overtures being made to Chaguanas West MP Jack Warner by high-ranking people in the United National Congress (UNC), including two very senior parliamentarians and a top executive member, who have all appealed to him to desist from suing Panday.

Warner confirmed the overtures yesterday, saying: ’They (these persons) believe that a lawsuit would generally damage the party, but would really damage Panday personally. Therefore, they do not believe that it would be in the interest of either the party, Mr Panday and some ways even me, because at the end of the day, in this kind of situation nobody is a winner. We are all losers and that is what is guiding their actions.’

Warner, who met with his attorneys British QC Allan Newman and Om Lalla yesterday morning at his Concacaf office in Port of Spain for three hours, said since his announcement that he planned to sue Panday for defamation for statements made in a radio interview, which, according to Warner, suggested that he (Warner) was a drug lord, ’my colleagues have been calling’.

’Several calls were made to me by parliamentarians, high-ranking officials and office-holders, asking me to drop the lawsuit and try to find some mechanism whereby this thing could be resolved, and I have told them that I would consider it,’ he said.

Asked if the people making the approach were doing it on Panday’s behalf, Warner said: ’I never asked them, but I do not believe that they were acting on their own initiative.’

Sources said yesterday it was likely that Warner would put the matter on hold for the time being, and in the interest of the party and the representations made to him, postpone taking a decision on suing Panday without prejudice to his right to take action in the future.

Warner said he meets with his attorneys again today and after that, he may be in a position to make a firm decision. He reiterated, however, that this matter was giving him no pleasure.

’I continue to believe that Mr Panday had done a lot for the country, but I maintain that he has overstayed his time. I have no intention of doing anything to destroy his legacy. But I was offended over what he said. I remain open. And I would be guided tomorrow (today) by what the lawyers say,’ he said.

Asked if he would withdraw his suit if Panday were to say he was sorry, Warner said he did not want to put Panday in such a position.

’And in any event,’ he added, ’Mr Panday is the kind of person who would never say he is sorry for what he has said. Mr Panday never believes that he has erred. He always believes that he is right.’

Apart from Newman and Lalla, Warner said he had ’solicited advice’ from Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj and Anand Ramlogan.

Meanwhile, Newman, who represented Panday in an integrity case, said: ’I am aware of my professional obligations.’

He added that there was no conflict of interest.

Warner said he would be treating the issue of Panday’s statements separate from any legal action against the party’s disciplinary proceedings being contemplated against him (along with Maharaj and Winston Peters) and the matter of the suspension of three of his colleagues-Sylvester Ramquar, Rupert Griffith and Don Sylvester. He said he had a strong case on all the matters.