Warner noted that at that sitting "the member of San Fernando East displayed a photograph of a house under construction owned Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, which he described as “Kamla’s Palace”.
Manning claimed that the facility was bigger that the Prime Minister’s residence and "the best estimate that we have, the all inclusive cost of building this facility is $ 150 million.”
Warner pointed out that Persad-Bissessar subsequently informed the House that the Member for San Fernando East was misleading the House but that did not deter Manning from making further allegations.
He reminded the House that Manning said that the motive for bringing the wiretapping bill to Parliament was because the government wanted to "close the eyes and to close the ears of intelligence agencies" in order to protect "those who financed them in the election campaign and who are involved in the drug trade."
Warner reminded the House that the Speaker intervened to stop Manning. However he said Manning persisted in attempting to justify the allegations made earlier in his contribution questioning Government’s motives in piloting the bill.
He quoted Manning who stated that the government fired key security personnel and closed intelligence agencies for one reason: "Look at it. All of these things undermine the anti-drug effort of the State so carefully put in place by the PNM. To what conclusion do you expect us to come."
Warner said based on the statements made by Manning he believes that the Member for San Fernando East did "deliberately and mischievously" misled the House.
In addition, he said Manning "imputed improper motives against the Honourable Member for Siparia, in clear violation of the Standing Orders of this Honourable House".
He said Manning's words "were understood to mean that the Honourable Member for Siparia and or the party which she leads, the United National Congress, during the course of recent election campaign has received financial assistance from drug lords and drug dealers and is therefore in their debt or to use his words are “ beholden” and is for this reason has exposed in Parliament the wire tapping activities of the SIA.
He added, "Further and by innuendo the said words were said to mean that the Member for Siparia was a party to a criminal conspiracy whose purpose was to facilitate criminal activities of drug lords and drug dealers and to compromise or weaken security agencies of the State."
He said Manning also suggested that Persad-Bissessar, who was struggling to build her house before election had collected monies during the recent election campaign on behalf of the party from drug lords or drug dealers.
In addition, he said Manning further implied that Persad-Bissessar was "somehow involved in breaking the law in that said Member may have included land which was not lawfully hers onto the existing property at the Siparia Erin Road."
Warner said, "Mr. Speaker, I am of the view that in making these despicable statements not only did the Member for San Fernando East deliberately mislead this House with respect to the circumstances relating to the construction and cost of the private residence of the Member for Siparia, the Member for San Fernando East accused the Member for Siparia, as Prime Minister, Head of this Government, of attempting to use this Parliament to enact legislation with the purpose of satisfying some hidden agenda of persons unknown who he alleged, financed our election campaign and are involved in the drug trade, a proposition which Mr. Speaker I wholly reject as scurrilous, libelous and without merit or foundation."
He added, "Mr. Speaker, Members of Parliament, particularly long serving members, are well aware of the consequences which can befall them if found to be deliberately misleading the House. This may be treated as a grave contempt.
"It is also well established, parliamentary practice that speeches or writings which reflect on the character or conduct of a member in his capacity as a Member of the House also may be treated as contempt.
"Mr. Speaker it is my considered opinion that the Member of Parliament for San Fernando East, recklessly and premeditatedly committed a breach of privilege, despite my protestations to the contrary, by deliberately misleading this House, when he alleged that the value of the aforementioned private residence was approximately $ 150 million, when he knew or ought to have known that Declarations of Income, Assets and Liabilities are filed with the Integrity Commission by all members of parliament and that the information so filed annually with the Integrity Commission, is available for public scrutiny.
"Further, Mr. Speaker, I contend that his statements implicating the Honourable Member for Siparia, as Prime Minister in promoting the agenda of drug dealers in Trinidad and Tobago by bringing to Parliament The Interception of Communication Bill 2010, were a scandalous reflection on her character and conduct as a member if this Honourable House.
"Mr. Speaker, it is a contempt for the Member for San Fernando East to deliberately mislead this House more so, if the member makes unfounded, unsubstantiated and unwarranted allegations reflecting on my integrity and conduct as a member.
"His statements, taken in their totality constitute a desperate attempt to demean the Member for Siparia, the Honourable Prime Minister, in the eyes of her fellow Parliamentarians and by extension in the eyes of the nation as a whole.
The UNC chairman said the conduct, "by a long serving Member of this House should not and must not be permitted to go unchallenged as it is likely to bring this House of Representatives into disrepute and public odium."
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