Former SIA director changes name, working for government: Rowley

Reshmi Ramnarine, now known as Sacha Shashi Rekmah

Keith Rowley charged on Friday that the former Director of the Special Intelligence Agency (SIA) has changed her name and is currently working for the government.

Rowley read the deed poll document in Parliament. "By this deed, I the undersigned Sacha Rekmah...now or lately called Reshmi Usha Ramnarine...do hereby for myself wholly renounce, relinquish and abandon the use of my name and in lieu thereof, assume the name Sacha Shashi Rekmah."

The Opposition Leader demanded to know why this person is employed by the government and suggested that she might be blackmailing the Prime Minister.

"I want to ask the Prime Minister...what does Reshmi Ramnarine have over you that you are so mindful of her?"

Leader of Government Business Dr. Roodal Moonilal responded to Rowley and accused him of wasting the Parliament's time.

He wondered if Rowley would bring another Motion of No Confidence in the Prime Minister if Reshmi Ramnarine changes her name again.

"When I heard about the deed poll, I thought the Prime Minister signed the deed poll. This is the frivolous nature of this Motion. I want to say categorically on behalf of the Government of Trinidad and Tobago that we find this Motion frivolous, vexatious, baseless, lacking in substance, ill-conceived, spurious, null and void and of no effect."

Persad-Bissessar said she did not know about the name change, noting that she has not seen the person or spoken with her since her resignation.

"I don't know what is her new name apart from what he said. I don't know if she is working in a Ministry anywhere. I am sure it is something that can be verified," she told reporters.

She added, "The only new thing was that someone has changed her name. And maybe she had changed her name because she was being victimised in some way. I can't say, that would be within her knowledge and her purview so to do."