Anand Ramlogan on Friday night accused the former PNM administration of delaying the local government election for years to continue its practice of discrimination and provide services only for regions that supported the PNM.Speaking at a People's Partnership meeting platform in Tunapuna, Trinidad and Tobago's Attorney General also exposed a major multi-million dollar scandal involving a private credit union and the state.
He said in April 2009 the state guaranteed a loan to a credit union for US$20 million to construct a building which the government promised to rent from the credit union.
He said experts advised Government against taking such a risk with no apparent benefit to the government and stated that the overall liability to the government was over $1 billion.
Ramlogan said the government decided to enter into the agreement knowing that the liability to the state was considerable and not favourable to the government.
One government expert advised the government was that the terms were "harsh and oppressive" and that it placed on the government "the burden of guaranteeing the loan and paying off the loan".
Ramlogan read a letter from Sharon Cummings, a legal expert in the ministry of Public Administration, advising the minister at the time that he was misleading the cabinet on the matter.
He said the government paid out US$20 million from the Treasury without even signing an agreement.
The Attorney General also announced that the Integrity Commission has completed its investigation of the discrimination matter involving the Maha Sabha radio station license, saying that the matter has been passed to the DPP.
He said he does not know who will face charges but suggested that it could be former Prime Minister Patrick Manning. "Let the chips fall where they may!" he declared.
Ramlogan also announced that he will not spare criminals. He said the state will resume hangings and murderers will pay with their lives.
The Attorney General served notice that he will not stop speaking out on these issues and sent a message to opposition leader Keith Rowley that no one will muzzle him. "This attorney general will not be silenced," Ramlogan said.
He suggested that the PNM leader look in the mirror instead of asking Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar to muzzle her attorney general.
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1 comment:
There is a big difference between a constitutional body and an agent of the state and our attorney general does not seem to know this. Also an elected member of parliament takes an oath prior to assuming office. His term of office is more less fixed for five years, unless there is some unforeseen situation like if he resigns or if there is a snap elections. An appointed senator takes an oath prior to assuming office. His term of office can expire at a moment's notice. A civil servant too is a public official. However when he assumes office he is bound by the law of the Civil Service which includes inter alia: OATH OF OFFICE AND SECRECY. This oath requires that a Civil Servant will not publish or communicate any facts or information being facts or expressions of opinion based on such facts that come to his knowledge by reason of his employment as a Civil Servant.
At a public meeting at Emerald Plaza on the night of Friday 9th July 2010, I saw and heard Attorney General Anand Ramlogan call the names of two civil servants and read private confidential correspondence with sensitive information, to the public. In the process he smeared the reputation of two civil servants. This despicable act must be of concern to all right thinking people and other civil servants who also have written private correspondence to ministers of government. These are secret documents existing between the agent in the bureaucracy and the elected official and it was wholly wreckless and shameless of the Attorney General to use the names of honourable civil servants to make himself look good. I say it here again that this Attorney General is unfit to hold public office.
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