Monday, June 24, 2013

COP say Gordon-Rowley meeting wholly inappropriate

The Leader of The Congress of the People (COP) everyone holding public office must uphold the highest standards of ethical conduct.

Prakash Ramadhar made the comment in a statement Sunday with respect to the meeting between Integrity Commission Chairman Ken Gordon and Opposition leader Keith Rowley.

Both men have insisted that they did nothing wrong and Gordon has rejected calls for his resignation. That private meeting was held at Gordon's home on May 15, five days before Rowley moved a motion of no confidence in the government.

None of them reported the meeting to anyone and Gordon also released his personal notes about the discussions after Government House Leader Roodal Moonilal spoke about the meeting in Parliament earlier this month. However, Gordon has insisted that it was 'secret'.

Ramadhar noted the position of the PNM and Rowley that the PNM leader was right to have the meeting. He said his party is disagrees with that view and stated that the meeting was “wholly inappropriate”.
Ramadhar said, "Its only effect would have been to render the Commission, or at least its chairman, ineligible to conduct any investigation or subsequent proceedings arising out of it, into the matters raised by the Leader of the Opposition during the no-confidence debate."

He added that if Rowley was of the view that the Commission was the most appropriate body to investigate the matter he raised, "why was he meeting with the chairman before making that recommendation? Was it his intention to introduce the appearance of bias on the part of the chairman in the event that his email-gate turned out to be a concoction?” 

Ramadhar said the average person would see this meeting as giving the appearance of bias on the part of the chairman. 

"From any angle, this private meeting between these particulars parties was wholly inappropriate and prejudicial to the Leader of the Opposition’s own case," he said.

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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