"Can we move on, please?" PM closes the book on SSA director affair

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar on Wednesday expressed frustration at the media's preoccupation with the Reshmi Ramnarine matter and had a suggestion for reporters who insist on keeping the story on their agenda.

"Can we talk on something else?" she asked as reporters pressed her about details of the Ramnarine matter as she left the Trinidad Hilton after launching the UN International Year of People of African Descent.

Persad-Bissessasr spoke about some issues reporters raised and confirmed that her national security minister John Sandy, who is a member of the National Security Council, was present at meetings at which Ramnarine's appointment as SSA director was approved.

She explained again why the 6-month assignment was made. "The fact is we needed someone for the transition stage and it was an interim appointment. She has now resigned and we have to look for someone else. Can we talk on something else? I can't repeat myself."

She did not wish to deal with further details and questioned why there was such an interest in matters of national security. "You know something, how come you never asked these questions all these years? Did you know who was the former director? Do you know? You never knew; you never knew," she said.

"You know what is very interesting, she has been working there for the past six years, and suddenly, this has become such a great issue. How come no questions were asked before when she had been employed by the SIA, the illegal entity?"

She added, "This was an interim appointment; the lady has resigned. Can we move on, please?" She advised the media that she will not have anything more to say about the matter.

Persad-Bissessar has also made it clear that she has no intention of making an apology to Opposition leader Keith Rowley on this matter.

"Mr Rowley has called on me to apologise for every single thing I have done. I am sorry, but I will not make him happy in this regard," she said.

Howver her foreign minister is willing to apologise for stating that Ramnarine was a graduate of the University of the West Indies, holding a bachelor's degree in Information technology. 

He also told Parliament last week that Ramnarine was pursuing a BA degree in Psychology and had worked at the SIA for nine years. It turns out that she doesn't have a degree.

"If something has to be corrected...I will correct it," Rambachan, who was with bthe PM at the Hilton, told reporters. he indicated that he will do it as early as Friday.