PNM fails in bid to send two cabinet ministers to Privileges Committee

The Speaker of the House of Representatives ruled Friday against two opposition members who had presented motions seeking to have cabinet ministers John Sandy and Surujrattan Rambachan sent to the House Privileges Committee for deliberately misleading Parliament.

Mark ruled that the opposition had failed to make a prima facie case of breach of privilege against Sandy, especially since he had apologised. The National Security Minister also excused his colleagues Rambachan and Prakash Ramadhar who had also given inaccurate information about the qualifications of Reshmi Ramnarine, at last Friday's sitting of the Lower House.

Ramnarine was appointed Director of the Security Services Agency (SSA) but resigned a few days later following national exposure in the media that questioned her suitability for the sensitive intelligence post.
 
Sandy told legislators when he stated that Ramnarine was a UWI graduate he genuinely believed it to be true. 

"Following my statement, other Government colleagues put on record of the Honourable House, similar information. Since then, it has been brought to my attention, that I had unwittingly misled this Honourable House and so did my colleagues," he said. 

He said it was never his intention or that of the Government to willfully mislead the Parliament. "For this, Mr Speaker, I offer you, this House and the national community my most humble and sincerest apologies," he said.

Mark said he considered the circumstances and the personal explanation by Sandy and felt that it would be "beneath the dignity of this Honourable House not to accept the apology" of the minister. 

Mark also noted that there must be something in the circumstances that point to "a deliberate attempt" to mislead before someone can be referred to the Privileges Committee.

Laventille West MP Nileung Hypolite moved the motion against Rambachan, telling  Parliament the week before that Ramnarine held a BSc degree in Information Technology (IT) from the University of the West Indies (UWI) and was pursuing a BA degree in Psychology.

In addition he said Ramnarine was well suited for the post because she had been employed with the security agency for nine years and had international experience in her field.

Hypolite stated that it is now public knowledge that Ramnarine does not have the stated academic credentials or international experience. Based on that he asked that Rambachan be sent to the Privileges Committee.

On Wednesday Rambachan admitted that he may have been wrong and said he would offer an apology.

The motion against Sandy came from Diego Martin Central MP Dr Amery Browne who said Sandy "knew or ought to know" that his statements in support of the appointment of Ramnarine were not true.