Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley on Tuesday said the people's National Movement (PNM) has no quarrel with the government's investigation of persons who may have been involved in wrongdoing.Rowley was speaking in the House of Representatives in response to the People's Partnership Government's first budget.
He said if any "mistake" of the PNM tenure is deemed to warrant investigation or any other legal action, the PNM had absolutely no quarrel with that.
"In the event that individuals, at any level, are found to have fallen short of the requirements of their office, the PNM will defend no act of wrong-doing on the part of any person, regardless of their station," he said.
"Investigate to your total satisfaction, as much as you want, and that includes me," he told the House. "All we demand is fairness, decency and justice for all," he added.
Rowley said he supports a process by which "there is a clear distinction to be made between proper processes and political witch-hunting."
He raised the issue as he slammed Attorney General Anand Ramlogan for appointing his "brothers in law" to investigate alleged corruption in state companies that operated under the previous Manning PNM government.
Ramlogan has hired a high-powered team to conduct an audit into the UTT, Petrotrin, E-Teck, the Sports Company of Trinidad and Tobago, T&TEC, the Scarborough Hospital and the fast ferries.
"We are advised that this team, to the man, are all very close friends and associates of the Honourable Attorney General. Five of which are lawyers! Two hold briefs for him in the courts, now that he is out of private practice," Rowley said.
"In fact, I am advised that they operate out of and from the office of his private practice. One is his mentor, from whom he sought a costly legal opinion when there was absolutely no need for such in a matter that had everything to do with "ethics" and nothing to do with law!
"Yet another is a close associate of his mentor and also a close associate of the Queen's Counsel on the team. One big happy legal family!" he said.
He also noted that the government has allocated $13 million for this project and added that Ramlogan is on record as saying that "there is no limit to what he is prepared to pay for this assignment."
Rowley also attempted to draw a connection between Ramlogan and two businessmen - Ishwar Galbaransingh and Steve Ferguson - who are wanted in the United States on several charges of corruption.
Both men are awaiting a decision from the Attorney General on whether they would be extradited to the United States to face trial. Both of them had been financiers of the United National Congress (UNC).
Rowley cliamed that Royal Castle handed Ross Advertising a cheque for $2.5 million just before the May 24 general election and call on the agency to explain what it did with the money. Ferguson and Galbaransingh are directors of Royal Castle.
Ross was the primary ad agency that handled the People's Partnership election campaign and has taken responsibility for the People's Partnership advertisement which promised the reduction in the pensionable age from 65 to 60.
The party's manifesto never promised a reduction in the pensionable age to 60. However some ads gave that impression.
Rowley addressed that in trying to make a connection between the two businessmen and the government.
"Since Ross Advertising agency is so willing to pull the Government's chestnuts out of the fire, now that they have come on stage, in the interest of full disclosure...I am sure they will have no difficulty telling the country...whether such persons need the help of the Attorney General in any legal matter."
He did not elaborate on the matter or provide any proof regarding the financial contribution from Royal Castle. However he told reporters he is not known to make irresponsible statements in Parliament.
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