Integrity Commission chairman resigns; Opposition calls for president's resignation

The Chairman of the Integrity commission of Trinidad and Tobago has resigned, becoming the third member of commission to quit in less than a week. It leaves the commission with only two members, meaning it no longer has a quorum and cannot function.

Father Henry Charles tendered his resignation Wednesday citing as his main reason the Canon Law of the Church.

Chaguanas MP Jack Warner wrote to the Archbishop of Port of Spain Wednesday asking Edward J. Gilbert whether the Archdiocese of Port of Spain sanctioned the appointment of Fr. Henry Charles as Chairman of the Integrity Commission.

He also asked the archbishop if the appointment and acceptance of the post by Fr. Henry Charles "is consistent with Canon Law and, if the answer is in the negative, what does the Church propose to do in the circumstances?"

Warner stated that one of the amendments to the Integrity in Public Life Act states that Commissioners can face litigation for acts not committed in good faith.

In these circumstances he wanted to know "If such litigation were to occur, would Fr. Henry Charles be responsible in his own right or will the Church be held responsible as well?"

There is speculation that Charles was motivated to quit for other reasons, including a matter related to his work as a columnist for a daily newspaper.

The Roman Catholic priest admitted to the Trinidad Express that under pressure of deadline he used substantial amounts of material in his work for the Trinidad Guardian that were not his own. The issue was raised by another columnist Kevin Baldeosingh.

According to a front page report in the Trinidad Express Baldeosingh claimed that in a column titled "The colour of intelligence", published on December 24, 2007 in the Trinidad Guardian, Charles "copied 300-plus out of 1,000 words (and took four of his seven arguments) from an op-ed piece in the New York Times written on December 9 by psychologist Richard E. Nesbitt. Most recently, on April 13, 2009, in a piece titled "The financial crisis and ethics deficit', Mr Charles lifted virtually in toto a column written by Catholic scholar Darrin Belousek and published in America: the National Catholic Weekly on March 30".

The Express quoted Charles as saying he told President Max Richards about his "transgressions" and offered not to accept the appointment but Richards told him "mistakes do occur".

Read the Express story: CONFESSION

Charles' resignation is the latest in a string of embarrassing situations that have developed since last Friday when President Richards appointed the five-member commission headed by Charles.

The first was the immediate resignation of retired appeal court justice Zainool Hosein who claimed that the president had made a commitment to him that he would be deputy chairman and that the president changed that last Friday morning, handing the position instead to Jeffrey McFarlane.

McFarlane admitted that he didn't even know that he would be the deputy chairman. But then a new controversy developed around McFarlane when opposition MP Kamla Persad-Bissessar pointed out in a letter to the president that McFarlane was unqualified to hold any post in the commission.

She said that under the provisions of the Integrity in Public Life Act persons holding public office cannot sit as a commissioner. In McFarlane's case he holds the position of Chief Executive of the National Insurance Board and sits on the boards of multiple statutory bodies.

Initially McFarlane refused to sit in at the inaugural meeting of the commission Monday. On Wednesday he resigned.

Now the opposition is calling for the resignation of the president. The chairperson of the women's arm of the United National Congress (UNC), saying the various incidents since last Friday have brought the president's office into disrepute.

"The fiasco that arose with the appointment to the commission of a man who was clearly unqualified according to the law – and to the controversial position of Deputy Chairman at that – is ultimately the fault of President Richards" Dr Jennifer Jones Kernahan said in a news release.

She said media commentaries have questioned "His Excellency’s handling of that matter and members of the public are expressing loss in confidence in President Richards", adding that people are questioning the president's judgment in taking a vacation "while this crisis began to unfold".

The former cabinet minister said, "In these circumstances, His Excellency must save the Office of President from further disrepute and do the only honourable thing left which is to resign."

Earlier, opposition leader Basdeo Panday called for the appointment of a new Integrity Commission.