Letter: Jack Warner defends Dr Tim Gopeesingh

Activist Ishmael Samad has been carrying on a one-person crusade against Trinidad and Tobago's new education minister, Dr Tim Gopeesingh, alleging that the MP for Caroni East in not suitable to hold the post because of questionable moral behaviour.

Samad has written to several top officials including Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar and Works Minister Jack Warner, who received the correspondence while he was in South Africa attending the Fifa World Cup.

Warner has replied with a strong defence of his parliamentary colleague. The letter to Samad is printed below:

"I have taken note of the contents of your correspondence regarding the appointment of Dr. Tim Dhanraj Gopeesingh as a Minister in the People’s Partnership Government.

"I do wish to advise you that your comment is singular as it has not been echoed in any other quarters but, none the less, I have decided to respond to you as the issue of morality in public life has become a subject of constant discussion in our media and social life.

"Moreover though you addressed your comment directly to the Prime Minister I refuse to allow any attack made on any of my Parliamentary colleagues to go undefended by me regardless of any political niceties which may be the practice or norm.

"Your attack on Dr Gopeesingh is unwarranted and I will deal with that shortly but I do wish to ask you, how come,over the years, you have been reticent on issues of the personal lives of Ministers of the Peoples National Movement during the last Manning Administration?

"Allegations and accusations of their immoral private lives abound ranging from the Prime Minister to Junior Ministers and State Board Members and yet you said nothing. Why did you not select to conduct your one man protests against those individuals as you are now campaigning against Dr. Gopeesingh?

"Is the moral outrage only activated and animated when it is a Peoples Partnership Minister? You lodged no objection to the United National Congress against Dr. Gopeesingh on this issue as a Member of the Opposition at any material time.

"Indeed during the internal elections there were several allegations against persons' character but none involved Dr.Gopeesingh. During the run up to the screening process of the UNC there was no objection to Dr. Gopeesingh as a candidate of the party for the 2010 General Elections by you or any other person.

"During the bruising and brutal election campaign there was no issue of any personal issue of Dr. Gopeesingh on or off the platform. One would have assumed that there and then would have been the ideal place to make such a revelation. It is now passing strange that the People's Partnership having formed the government of Trinidad & Tobago this singular objection has now arisen.

"Now to the substance of your allegations, you assert that Dr. Gopeesingh’s private life is questionable but you provide no evidence. I guess if Ishmael Samad says so is so!

"There have been two media reports in weekly publications over the years that have made attacks on Dr. Gopeesingh on the same issue. Those of us in public life know all too well that weekly publications tend to be fast and loose with facts for the purpose of sensationalism and sales.

"This also begs the question as to the source of the information for your allegations. Have you done an investigation into the private life of Dr. Gopeesingh or have you based your rant solely on one or two media reports?

"If there is a comprehensive report then the principles of natural justice demand that it be made available to Dr. Gopeesingh so that he has the opportunity to respond.

"Let us for argument sake assume but not accept what is being imputed by you is true for a moment. You wrongly assume that one's approach to private life will automatically imply a penchant for public corruption. This is the premise of your thesis which pivots your demand for the firing of Dr. Gopeesingh.

"Again the empirical evidence for such a causal effect is not provided by you. Indeed my Party's collective experience with Dr. Gopeesingh is that he is an incorruptible person and that is one of the reasons why he got over 12,000 votes in Caroni East. How many votes did you get anywhere Ishmael?

"It is also distasteful that you have chosen to include religion and race into your submission with your comments on Hindus and Indo-Trinidadians. To widen the discussion to include the Indian and Hindu community is stereotyping at its worst and uneducated at best and as such undeserving of a response from me.

"It is regrettable that this colonial stereotype of the Hindu community is sadly being echoed by you. I ask you here and now where have you established yourself as a representative or researcher of either of these two groups to allow for such a commentary.

"I am also compelled to ask on what basis you arrogate unto yourself the right and responsibility to assume the self righteous position of the moral police and moral magistrate of those in public life?

"Let me end by reiterating once again that I will not remain quiet while you or anyone else attempt to denigrate my Parliamentary colleagues. You and I were at University together in the 60s and though you did not complete your education I have been following your exploits since then.

"I have never sought to say anything for or against whatever or whomever you chose to attack over the years but when one of my Parliamentary colleagues is attacked by you and moreso without reason, I will always stand up in his or her defence.

"Let that be a warning for the future.

Regards,
Jack Warner