President asks Panday for nominees for Integrity Commission

Trinidad & Tobago's Opposition Leader Basdeo Panday has confirmed that President Max Richards has written to him requesting that he send him the names of persons whom he thinks should be appointed to the Integrity Commission.

Panday says he already has a list of prospective candidates for the President to consider.

All members of the commission resigned on February 5 two days after a high court judge ruled that the commission had acted improperly in dealing with former cabinet minister Dr Keith Rowley and awarded him more than $100,000 in costs and damages.

Justice Maureen Rajnauth-Lee ruled that the Commission acted in bad faith in relation to Rowley, and was guilty of "the tort of misfeasance in public office". She also found that based on the facts there was an unfair abuse of power by failing to give Rowley and his wife, Sharon, a hearing with regard to an investigation of the couple's Landate development in Tobago.

Read the story: Integrity commissioners quit

UNC deputy leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar has threatened legal action against the President for the delay in appointing members to serve on the Commission.

She made the threat in Parliament while she argued a motion of no confidence in Finance Minister Karen Nunez-Tesheira for her alleged conflict of interest in the Government bailout of CLICO.

Persad-Bissessar told the Trinidad Express she welcomes the move by the President to have the members appointed, stressing that it is long overdue.

"It's already late, there has been a long delay so we look forward to the members being appointed at the earliest possible time" Persad-Bissessar told the paper.

Persad-Bissessar has also written to the Commissioner of Police and the Director of Public Prosecutions requesting a probe into Nunez-Tesheira's actions. She alleges that Nunez-Tesheira had breached the Prevention of Corruption Act as well as the Integrity in Public Life Act when she withdrew her money from the CLICO Investment Bank (CIB) prior to the government action.

The DPP responded to Persad-Bissessar indicating that an investigation would be launched.

Persad-Bissessar told the Express when the new commissioners are appointed she would write the Integrity Commission on the matter relating to the finance minister.