It's a lie. Rowley says he has no $M foreign account

Diego Martin West MP Dr Keith Rowley has made it clear that neither he nor his wife has any foreign bank account.

Rowley was responding to a television news report that stated a former government minister is under investigation and might be arrested for failing to declare several bank accounts to the Integrity Commission for the year 2007.

The Trinidad Guardian, citing the TV report, stated in its Saturday March 13, 2010 edition:

"The Trinidad account had a balance of $167,445 and was in the name of the wife of the former minister.

"There are saving and trust accounts in Alexandria Bancorp Limited (Cayman Islands) with a balance of US $6,544,322 (TT $40 million).

"The wife has been described as the “beneficial owner,” while the former minister was described as a signatory—meaning he has the authority to deposit and withdraw funds.

"The Cayman Islands accounts were opened on July 7, 2007, but it is not certain whether it was fully-funded on the very first day.

"According to reports, Prime Minister Patrick Manning is aware of the investigation being conducted by the police after the information was received following a forensic investigation into the former minister’s affairs."

Rowley called the report "another desperate attempt" at slander.

He told the Trinidad Express, "This is just another version of the ’10 million missing, whey de money gone?...Someone fabricates a story, placing my wife’s name on a document, sends it to the media, hoping that the media will publish it. Whoever has done that, it is aimed at me...

"So this is ... part of the concerted effort in certain quarters to change my image and tarnish my character. And that has been going on now for some time now in full public view,’ he said.

The former cabinet minister told the paper, "I have no foreign bank account. My wife has no foreign bank account...I have no account in Caymans! I never had, and I do not now have!"

Noting that the television report did not name him he said he is not the only "former minister" in the country. However he said he had to respond because the reports suggest that he could the person to whom the report referred.

Rowley told the paper from the report being circulated in the media "it can be determined that my wife’s name is being called and therefore this slander is being pointed at me."

He pointed finger at Manning who told reporters Friday the country should wait until "the evening has ended to see how splendid the day has been."

Rowley said. "You all must understand that there are serious things involved in the allegations against some people today, and there is a level of desperation going down in certain quarters.

"There is a level of desperation in certain quarters and this is a tangible manifestation of that extreme desperation existing in certain levels of the society."