Roodal Moonilal told reporters on Thursday opposition leader Keith Rowley still has an opportunity to apologise for remarks he made in Parliament last week about Attorney General Anand Ramlogan.
Rowley told legislators staff at the Trinidad and Tobago consulate in New York told him that Ramlogan visited the office last November and expressed concern about what he called an ethinc imbalance at the consulate.
Both Moonilal and his cabinet colleague Jack Warner pointed out to the House of Representatives that Rowley was wrong and provided evidence to show that Ramlogan has not visited New York for at least two years. They also demanded an apology from Rowley, accusing him of deliberately misleading the House.
Rowley has refused to back down on his claim and he has said he is standing by what he said because employees at the diplomatic mission reported the matter to him.
Reporters asked Moonilal about the matter at the media briefing following the regular cabinet session.
The Government House Leader said the matter is under active review, adding that Rowley still has time to withdraw the remarks and apologise for what he said at Friday's sitting of the Lower House.
"The process requires the Member to have opportunity to apologise and I think quite deliberately we called on him to do so on that day, which he did not. So it clears the way for further action if the aggrieved Member so decides," Moonilal said.
"If the Leader of the Opposition, in his wisdom, decides that the time has come for him to clarify and apologise, that may offset any action to refer the matter to the Privileges Committee, even though he has had that opportunity before, and declined," he added.
Moonilal said there is more to the issue than the need to apologise. He said Rowley has brought into disrepute members of the staff at the consulate of Trinidad and Tobago in New York.
"Dr Rowley has also brought into disrepute officials and public officers in the employ of the Government of Trinidad and Tobago. It is matter we will also have to look at," Moonilal said.
Rowley told legislators staff at the Trinidad and Tobago consulate in New York told him that Ramlogan visited the office last November and expressed concern about what he called an ethinc imbalance at the consulate.
Both Moonilal and his cabinet colleague Jack Warner pointed out to the House of Representatives that Rowley was wrong and provided evidence to show that Ramlogan has not visited New York for at least two years. They also demanded an apology from Rowley, accusing him of deliberately misleading the House.
Rowley has refused to back down on his claim and he has said he is standing by what he said because employees at the diplomatic mission reported the matter to him.
Reporters asked Moonilal about the matter at the media briefing following the regular cabinet session.
The Government House Leader said the matter is under active review, adding that Rowley still has time to withdraw the remarks and apologise for what he said at Friday's sitting of the Lower House.
"The process requires the Member to have opportunity to apologise and I think quite deliberately we called on him to do so on that day, which he did not. So it clears the way for further action if the aggrieved Member so decides," Moonilal said.
"If the Leader of the Opposition, in his wisdom, decides that the time has come for him to clarify and apologise, that may offset any action to refer the matter to the Privileges Committee, even though he has had that opportunity before, and declined," he added.
Moonilal said there is more to the issue than the need to apologise. He said Rowley has brought into disrepute members of the staff at the consulate of Trinidad and Tobago in New York.
"Dr Rowley has also brought into disrepute officials and public officers in the employ of the Government of Trinidad and Tobago. It is matter we will also have to look at," Moonilal said.
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