Rowley: Leave my wife out of politics, says Sugar Aloes remain PNM

Keith Rowley and his spouse, Sharon. Express photo

Keith Rowley on Sunday criticised Dr Roodal Moonilal for what Rowley said is an attempt by Moonilal to connect Rowley's wife, Sharon, to a transaction for the purchase of a luxury villa in Tobago by the Urban Development Corporation of Trinidad & Tobago (UDeCOTT) while Calder Hart was the organisation's executive chairman.

Moonilal waved a document during the People's Partnership second anniversary celebration rally in Chaguanas on Thursday that he said was a deed for Coral Seashells Villas #113, Anthony Charles Crescent, Bon Accord, Tobago. The cost was US$449,500 (TT$3 million), Moonilal said.

Moonilal said one of the signatures on the document was that of a lady named Sharon Clarke Rowley, and made it clear that he was not suggesting that there was anything inappropriate about it. However he said he wants to know if Rowley, who was in the cabinet at the time, knew about the deal.

The opposition leader spoke about the matter at the People's National Movement (PNM) Family Day at Manzanilla Beach.

Keith Rowley addresses supporters. Newsday photo

"He (Moonilal) seeks to draw my wife into the politics," Rowley told reporters.

He added, "My wife is a private attorney conducting private business, who has absolutely no business with Calder Hart and UDeCOTT and any transaction. What he was referring to was witnessing the actions of other persons."

That is exactly what Moonilal said. The Deputy Leader of the United National Congress (UNC) stated that the lawyer, Sharon Rowley, was acting in her professional capacity and did not connect her to what might have been wrong about the transaction by UDeCOTT. What Moonilal wanted to know was what Keith Rowley knew about the deal.

Rowley did not answer that question. He said at the time when the UDeCOTT bought the property Hart was not reporting to him although he was Housing Minister and the line minister for UDeCOTT. He was fired from cabinet in 2008 for challenging decisions made by Hart without proper cabinet oversight.

Rowley also said he was not impressed with the announcement by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar that she plans a Cabinet "reconfiguration".

"If you reshuffle the same cards you get the same hands. I don't think it will make much of a difference. It is the same people following the same policies...Even if they change portfolios, it will be the same people doing the same things," Rowley said.

And he did not share the view that the appearance of pro-PNM calypsonian Michael "Sugar Aloes" Osuana on the PP stage was something about which he should be concerned.

"Sugar Aloes is a performer and he is a private citizen and free to do as he pleases for performances. The PNM has no control over Sugar Aloes or any other performer," Rowley said. He added that he was not offended by the performance.

"He is a private performer making his private living as he sees fit. We may be disappointed that he has done certain things but that is not our call and I tell you I have no doubt that he is still supporting the PNM. I have no doubt about that!"