Friday, November 4, 2011

FIU director gets 6-month extension; Dookeran says Rowley playing games

Winston Dookeran accused Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley on Thursday of playing childish political games with the national interest, saying Rowley has tried to mislead the population on the issue of the appointment of a director to the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU).

Dookeran also announced that the Public Service Commission (PSC) has extended the appointment of Susan Francois for another six months.

The Acting Prime Minister said Rowley’s obsession with the issue is a direct result of internal politics within the PNM.
The matter was addressed in Parliament two months ago when the Prime Minister explained that the finance minister advised on the appointment in the national interest.

Rowley has now written to both the Integrity Commission and the Equal Opportunities Commission, alleging unfair conduct on the part of Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar in vetoing the PSC’s initial choice for the post, Michelle Austin. That veto had paved the way for Francois’ reappointment.

Dookeran said, “The noises from the Leader of the Opposition cannot be easily understood" and suggested that he might be trying to divert attention from "this period of confession in which his party has found itself". 

He also wonder if Rowley is "in fact playing child’s play with national issues that affect the interest of Trinidad and Tobago.

“If it is the former, we will let it go as part of the political process of our country,” he added.

Dookeran said, “When we came into office in May of 2010, it was a problem that we had to tackle. Five years prior to that, the institutions had not been properly put into place and we were in fact placed on the dark grey listing of the international body that monitors this progress.”

The Finance Minister said Francois was appointed in an acting capacity in February, 2011. However, in June, 2011, the PSC began a recruitment process, issuing advertisements inviting applications.

He said at the same time Francois attended a meeting in Mexico at which she presided over a crucial breakthrough at which the possibility that the country’s “dark grey” FATF status could have been worsened.

“Fortunately at the meeting in Mexico city which was led by Ms Susan Francois and others, we were reclassified as light grey,” Dookeran said.

“I indicated to (the Prime Minister) that it is inappropriate at this time to change the person who was acting as director. I indicated to her that such a change will add immense risk to our financial system and that we were about to embark on a programme where we can now be moved out of the category of dark grey.”

Dookeran added, “As a result of these decisions, our country was moved from dark grey into light grey and therefore we have opened back the door to financial transactions.” 

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Jai & Sero

Jai & Sero

Our family at home in Toronto 2008

Our family at home in Toronto 2008
Amit, Heather, Fuzz, Aj, Jiv, Shiva, Rampa, Sero, Jai