Rev. Pena does not have diplomatic status: T&T Foreign Minister

The foreign minister of Trinidad and Tobago has no knowledge of Reverend Juliana Pena having diplomatic status or whether she has been a special envoy.

Paula Gopee-Scooon was responding to reports that Pena has travelled on behalf of the government and went to Zimbabwe in 2005 as a special envoy to Prime Minister Patrick Manning.

The Trinidad Express quoted from a report in the Zimbabwe Herald:

"President Mugabe yesterday met a special envoy of the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, PM Patrick Manning, at State House...Speaking after the meeting, Reverend Juliana Pena, of the Lighthouse of the Lord Jesus Church, said she had come to Zimbabwe to share with the President a vision that she had received from God, in which he revealed his desire to see change in Africa."

Read the story: Rev. Pena represented T&T as special envoy of PM Manning: Express report

Gopee-Scoon told reporters, "I do not know that she was ever a high commissioner-ambassador" adding that she was not aware that Pena ever acted in the role.

Pena is connected to a church under construction in the Heights of Guanapo and her name is on the foundation stone, which was laid on December 30, 2005.

However, Gopee-Scoon said the Prime Minister has the authority to appoint an envoy to deliver a special message or token to a Head of State on behalf of himself or the Government.

In Parliament on Friday Manning stated that no state funds have been used to pay for the travels of Pena. And he dismissed suggestions that the reverend travels with him.

"Mr Speaker...it is grossly inaccurate, and I do not propose to spend any more time on that... where the head of that church goes is her business. It has nothing to do with us. When anybody travels at taxpayers’ expense, you need a Cabinet decision to do that.

"There is no Cabinet decision authorising any payment for the head of the Lighthouse of the Lord Jesus Christ to travel to any part of the world.

"There is no Cabinet decision, and, therefore, as head of the Cabinet, I am in a position to say that no State funds are involved in the following travel of the head of that church."