The Integrity Commission's (IC) apparent rush to judgement on this issue has me very concerned as to its integrity and impartiality. First of all, there is NO requirement on a Cabinet Minister (or anybody else) to divest himself of his private interests.
In other words, though desirable, there is NO requirement for and individual to place his assets in a trust (blind or otherwise) when he becomes a Minister.
What is required is that an individual do make a complete disclosure of all of his interests to the IC at such time and intervals as is required by the legislation.
Further, it is clear that an individual cannot work in a job where there is a potential for a conflict of interest. So, for example, for reasons that ought to be obvious, a practising lawyer must give up his practise when he becomes a Minister.
Dr. Rowley and the PNM have made the point that if Mr. Warner is allowed to keep his FIFA vice presidency then where will it stop?
It has been touted that it would then be acceptable for Mr. Dookeran, for example, to accept a post abroad. With the greatest respect, this is comparing apples with oranges and is typical of the neo-colonialist thinking that has so hobbled us for the last four decades.
First of all, FIFA is an NGO (non-governmental organisation) that does not exist for profit but for promoting football! Full stop!
If Mr. Dookeran were, for example, to be offered a position on the executive of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) I would urge him to accept it. Trinidad & Tobago could only benefit from it.
But if Mr. Dookeran were to be offered while a Minister a seat on the board of, say, Toyota or General Motors, then clearly that would be a horse of a very different colour.
Further still, didn’t Mr. Manning and his Government (and by extension Dr. Rowley who would have been a member of the Cabinet when the decision was taken) host two big international conferences last year which cost us a billion dollars or more?
And didn’t the then Prime Minister and his supporters put forward the argument that one of the benefits to these two expensive conferences was that it would permit our leaders to meet with world leaders and that as a result there would be a host of intangible benefits coming to the country.
Well, Jack Warner as vice president of FIFA can talk to any world leader for free!
Incidentally, it is most interesting that nobody has been able to say up to now where exactly would there or could there be a conflict of interest between the FIFA and ministerial positions of Mr. Warner. The truth is that none exist.
This attack is typical of small minded, neo-colonial and petty men.
The IC would be more believable if it pronounced with equal alacrity on the host of serious issues before it, e.g., Landate, the Police Commissioner’s permission to the PNM to demonstrate outside Parliament when a no-confidence motion was being debated, the question of the Prime Minister appointing his wife as a minister, the church, etc.
The IC’s haste to deal with this issue while pointedly leaving other very serious issues alone must raise most ugly and very unnecessary suspicions in the minds of all right thinking people.
When I see a demonstrated fairness in its approach to all of the issues before it then the IC will get my respect.
But what it has done here leaves me with the belief that it has been less than fair, less than impartial, and less than thoughtful.
It is to the country’s advantage that Jack Warner stay exactly where he is…on both counts.
If and when it is no longer to our advantage then we can and will deal with it. Until then, his critics can eat my socks!
Robin Montano
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