Kamla asks police, DPP to investigate finance minister

As cabinet members rallied behind Finance Minister Karen Nunez-Tesheira one of the minister's main accusers, Kamla Persad-Bissessar, has written the Commissioner of Police, the head of the Fraud Squad and the Director of Public Prosecution asking them to investiagte the minister.

Her letter, dated Friday March, 13, 2009 asked them to "undertake an investigation to determine whether the Minister of Finance, Mrs. Karen Nunez-Tesheira, and/or the Governor of the Central Bank, Mr. Ewart Williams conducted themselves in a manner which violates the provisions of the Prevention Act, Chap. 11.11, and are therefore subject to criminal prosecution".

The Siparia MP and deputy leader of the United National Congress (UNC) has also written to the Speaker of the House of Representatives seeking leave "to move the adjournment of the House at today’s sitting (Friday, March 13th, 2009) for the purpose of discussing a definite matter of urgent public importance, namely: “The need for the Prime Minister to immediately revoke the appointment of Mrs. Karen Nunez-Tesheira as Minister of Finance of Trinidad and Tobago”."

Persad-Bissessar is leading the charge against the finance minister based on information reported in the media that Nunez-Tesheira might be in a conflict of interest by presiding over an aid package for CL Financial while she was a shareholder of the conglomerate.

The Trinidad and Tobago Transparency Insitute (TTTI) has joined Persad-Bissessar demanding that the minister either resign or be fired.

Nunez-Tesheira denies any wrongdoing and said she didn't mention her shareholding in Parliament but had declared it to the Integrity Commission. But the opposition member says her checks and those made by reporters showed that no such declaration was made by the minister.

She has dismissed the issue of a conflict of interest and made it clear that she is not about to quit. Prime Minister Patrick Manning has also said he saw nothing wrong about the matter.

On Thursday, Energy Minister Conrad Enill defended his ministerial colleague and suggested that citizens should focus on the "bigger issue" of saving the country’s financial sector rather than focusing on Nunez-Tesheira.

He said when the Government proceeded to bail out out Clico, it did so to save the financial sector from collapse. “It seems to me that what we need to do is to focus on what we are attempting to do to ensure that pensions and the retirement benefits of the workers in T&T are protected.

“The other matters, as topical as they may be, really pale into insignificance as they relate to the public good.” Enill said the Government’s action is intended to “ensure the stability of our economic system.”

And Works and Transport Minister Colm Imbert said it is a complex matter and said he does not think there should be any further comment until the issue had been resolved. He expressed full confidence in Teshiera as Finance Minister.

Nunez-Teshiera is in the United states for meetings with financial institutions and credit rating agencies.

An informal online poll conducted by the Trinidad Guardian suggests that a majority of respondents want the minister to resign. A total of 81 per cent said she should quit, with only 16 per cent saying she should not. Three per cent didn't know.