Rowley wants the government to fire Julie Browne

Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley believes the government should fire the deputy director of the Security Services Agency (SSA), Julie Browne, for deliberately misleading the government on the Usha Ramnarine issue.

Browne is the person who recommended  Ramnarine for the job, stating that she was highly qualified for the post. Her recommendation was supported by an embellished resume that made claims about experience, training and academic qualifications of Ramnarine that were false.

The Minister of National Security used Browne's recommendation as the basis for the cabinet note under his name that recommended that Ramnarine be appointed director of the SSA.

Rowley told the Trinidad Express these developments are disturbing and demonstrate that something is not right. He has already called for the national security minister to resign and now he is saying Brown must go too. The situation is becoming increasingly worse, he told the paper.

"If the text is true, then it shows that the security system in Trinidad and Tobago has collapsed and is a source of great concern...to me as Opposition Leader and to every citizen," Rowley told the Express.

"Julie Browne should now be removed from the country's security system because she has demonstrated that she has compromised her professional integrity," he added.

"This girl was recommended to head one of this country's most sensitive intelligence security agencies and her references were never checked? That is unacceptable, that is mismanagement of the highest order.

"References are for a purpose. They are to check people's backgrounds to verify what they have said about themselves. It is a dereliction of duty and some heads have to roll in this matter so there is a total closure, and there will be no closure until heads roll."

Rowley said the positions of Browne and Sandy remain untenable and the Prime Minister owes the people of this country an explanation.

"Had it not been for the exposure of this scandal, technician Reshmi Ramnarine would have been in charge of an entire security intelligence apparatus. Right now there is a crisis and a lot of people should be removed from office. Julie Browne is one of them," Rowley insisted. 

"The question one has to ask is: did Julie Browne act on her own accord or did she do it as a sycophant pandering to power?"

He suggested that it is clear that someone "desperately wanted this girl in that position....The country has demonstrated that we are not going to move on until we get the answers and get accountability. There will be no moving on in this issue, there has to be consequences in this issue."