Foreign Minister Suruj Rambachan said earlier in the week he would offer an apology for his statement that the former Director of the Security Services Agency (SSA) had an IT degree from the University of the West Indies, was completing a degree in Psychology and that she had nine years service in the Security Intelligence Agency (SIA).
The opposition is determined not to leave the issue alone. It's arsenal includes a motion of privilege against National Security Minister John Sandy for his initial statements last week that Ramnarine was qualified for the post.
Opposition Leader Keith Rowley is also demanding an apology from Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar. She has already made it clear that Rowley would be disappointed on that score.
Rowley plans to raise the Ramnarine issue within debate on a private motion concerning the SIA. And Colm Imbert also has a motion for debate.
On Thursday, the PM’s National Security Adviser Gary Griffith said he is "sorry" for the way in which this whole situation developed, "including how approval was made, statements delivered and Ramnarine’s immediate resignation." However, Griffith told the Trinidad Guardian there are no grounds for Persad-Bissessar to apologise.
“I don’t see why the Prime Minister should apologise, based on errors that might have been made by someone in the public sector, as the recommendation came from the Security Intelligence Agency (SIA) to the SSA’s deputy director...This was submitted to the National Security Council,” he added.
Sandy, Rambachan and Legal Affairs Minister Prakash Ramadhar made statements in Parliament last Friday, affirming that Ramnarine was qualified. Since then Sandy admitted that he was advised that his initial statement was inaccurate.
Ramadhar has called the matter extremely “unfortunate” and has apologised for any false impression created by his statements.
Sandy has also apologised in an official statement from his ministry that said since his statement about Ramnarine's qualifications last Friday "it has been brought to the minister’s attention that the information presented was inaccurate.”
The statement added, “It was never the intention of the minister to mislead the Parliament or the public. The minister wishes to apologise for such inaccuracies.”
The matter is also on the agenda of the Congress of the People (COP) with some strong words from deputy chairman Vernon de Lima.
“I deprecate the action of those who chose to lie to and/or mislead the Parliament and/or the people of T&T by tendering false information to the National Security Minister with the intent that he would publish such false information to misinform the Parliament in this debacle. I seriously wonder whether or not a criminal act has been committed,” De Lima said.
COP deputy leader Robert Mayers told the Trinidad Guardian the ‘error’ has raised questions about the Prime Minister's judgment. Former Prime Minister Basdeo Panday also blames Persad-Bissessar. “She heads the Cabinet, so the buck stops at the Prime Minister," Panday has said. "She can’t shirk her duty on this."
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