Privileges Committee meets Monday to discuss Rowley

The Privileges Committee of Parliament will hold its first meeting on Monday at 10.30 a.m. to deal with the matter of Opposition Leader Keith Rowley.

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar asked Speaker Wade Mark at the end of the opposition no confidence motion in the government refer Rowley to the committee for allegedly misleading Parliament. Mark agreed that a prima facie case against Rowley had been made and agreed to the request. 

Rowley presented to the Parliament e-mails he claimed were exchanged among the Prime Minister, Attorney General Anand Ramlogan, Local Government Minister Dr Suruj Rambachan and National Security adviser to the PM Gary Griffith.

All of them have denied they sent the emails, which they have called fabrications. Persad-Bissessar has referred them to the police for investigation.

The Opposition leader has called for an independent investigation saying he has no confidence in Deputy Commissioner of Police Mervyn Richardson, who is leading the probe.

The members of the Privileges Committee are:

1. Chairman—Wade Mark
2. Dr Tim Gopeesingh
3. Dr Roodal Moonilal
4. Prakash Ramadhar
5. Rodger Samuel
6. Chandresh Sharma
7. Donna Cox
8. Paula Gopee-Scoon
9. Colm Imbert