Kamla: Investigate Faris for alleged misbehaviour

Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Trinidad and Tobago Newsday

Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar. Photo courtesy Office of Parliament

OPPOSITION Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar said the UNC stands firm in its position that the government was “a clear and present danger to the rule of law and democracy,” alleging malicious political harassment of her party and its supporters.

In a statement on Monday, the party welcomed the discontinuance of the corruption kickback charges against former attorney general Anand Ramlogan and ex-UNC senator Gerald Ramdeen.

“We see this as the tip of the iceberg of PNM corruption and conspiracy to pervert the course of justice, and we will be relentless in our pursuit of the truth so that justice can be done.”

Persad-Bissessar said the alleged indemnity agreement between King’s Counsel Vincent Nelson and former AG Faris Al-Rawi for protection from prosecution has “always been a cause for public concern.”

“Indeed, the DPP publicly distanced himself from the same by disclaiming any knowledge about it.

“The chickens have come home to roost and our worst fears and suspicions have been justified.”

The UNC also called for Nelson’s civil claim in which he is alleging a breach of the indemnity on the part of the State to be made public.

The UNC said several questions now arose out of the shocking disclosures.

“Was the indemnity agreement a clever disguise or illicit vehicle for the payment of monies to induce Nelson to fabricate evidence against Ramlogan and Ramdeen?

”Why did Al-Rawi enter into a secret indemnity agreement with Nelson without the knowledge, participation and consent of the DPP?

“Did Dr Rowley as Prime Minister and/or the Cabinet, approve the terms of this scandalous indemnity agreement?”

File photo: Former AG Faris Al-Rawi

The UNC said the agreement had created a “staggering financial risk exposure for the State/taxpayers at a time when citizens are being told to return to sacrifice, to stop eating macaroni pie and ham and, return to using coal pots and riding bicycles to work.

“The UNC calls on Rowley to disclose whether he had prior knowledge about the Nelson lawsuit against Al-Rawi and whether this was the real reason behind his sudden firing as AG.

“The chronology of events will certainly tell a damning story and allow the public to connect the dots,” the UNC said.

The Opposition called for an immediate criminal investigation into the conduct of the former AG “to determine whether he is guilty of misbehaviour in public office and conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.”

NewsAmericasNow.com