Cadiz denies political relationship with Robocop, calls for apology from Rowley

Stephen Cadiz's office issued a media statement on Tuesday challenging Opposition Leader Keith Rowley to produce documentary evidence to prove that Selwyn 'Robocop' Alexis helped him win his seat.

It said if Rowley fails to do that he should apologise to the Chaguanas East MP, who is also the Trade Minister in the People's Partnership government.

The released called allegations of Cadiz's association with Alexis "extremely inflammatory and without basis."

"With the name of Selwyn ”Robocop” Alexis being splashed across the news for the past fifteen years, most notably in the recent plot to assassinate the Honourable PM of Trinidad and Tobago...the Honourable Stephen Cadiz has appealed to his detractors to provide evidence of an alleged link between the notorious underworld figure and the Minister of Trade and Industry," the release stated.

The release also questioned the credibility of Alexis who it said "has been repeatedly arrested and linked to crime, most notably kidnapping, racketeering and murder."

It added, "The Minister of Trade and Industry has always been an advocate against crime, even prior to his public office, which has extensively been documented during his time spearheading the Keith Noel 136 committee.

"Any allusion to the brokerage of a relationship with a prominent criminal figure perceived or otherwise, in order to secure votes, should be quickly dismissed by anyone with common sense as false."

It's not the first time that Cadiz has had to clear the air on this matter. When Alexis was arrested earlier in the year Cadiz issued a statement distancing himself from Alexis, whose lawyer had claimed that Alexis campaigned for Cadiz.

At that time Cadiz was emphatic that he had no political dealings with Alexis. "I never had any meeting with him, never had an discussions with him" Cadiz told a weekly newspaper.

Cadiz acknowledged that Alexis, who lives in Enterprise and runs a business in the Chaguanas East constituency, had a huge UNC banner outside his home during the 2010 election campaign. However he said that had nothing to with him.

He said he got no election funding from Alexis and as far as he knows no candidate for the People's Partnership secured any services from Alexis.