Panday says Finance Minister not telling the truth

Opposition Leader Basdeo Panday told the Trinidad Express Wednesday he believes that Finance Minister Karen Nunez-Tesheira is not telling the truth about her financial transactions with CLICO.

"I believe that she is not telling the truth and if she is not telling the truth then there are several courses of action that can be taken. There is the Integrity Commission, there is the DPP, the police themselves and then there's the Prime Minister who can intervene in the matter," he told the Express by phone from Scotland where is visiting his daughter. He is due to return home Thursday.

"This country under the PNM doesn't care anything. The people have lost their will to fight and deal with anything. I feel sorry for them," he said.

"But the people must realise that the time has come to move the PNM. The nation should be worried that the PNM is in power. You have a Finance Minister looking after her own affairs when you have people suffering in the country. They have no water, they can't get their roads fixed, they can't get basic facilities. This bothers me very much," Panday added.

"We do not operate under a democracy. I have said this for so long but nobody take me on. What we need is constitutional reform to force decisions in cases such as these," said Panday.

"When I come I shall have a look deeply at this issue, but they (the UNC) have been doing a fantastic job in my absence. I am very pleased with the way the members of the UNC have been conducting business," he added.