Moonilal contended in Parliament Friday that government never planned or agreed to any such increase as stated by former minister in the Ministry of National Security, Donna Cox.
Moonilal stated that the truth is that the former government did not agree to that increase and expressed "grave reservations" about paying so much.
Moonilal told legislators while Cox has stated that the PNM government proposed to increase police salaries by 40 per cent the Chief Personnel Officer (CPO) has advised that this was not so.
"The Police Association submitted a document, but I am advised by the CPO that this document did not have the blessing, the consent, the agreement of the Public Sector Negotiating Committee (PSNC), a sub-committee of the Cabinet, which was chaired by former Minister Dr Lenny Saith," Moonilal said.
Moonilal said he was further advised that when the report was circulated, the PSNC expressed "outrage", since the government at that time could not pay the proposed salary increases given the then financial circumstances of the country.
"She cannot say that," he said, adding that she was "peddling untruths" and "straining to mislead the national community".
He acknowledged that salaries for police, teachers and public services employees are important and added that Government is attempting to address these matters. Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar announced earlier in the week that the government cannot offer police more than five per cent.
However he noted that the PNM neglected to deal with the issues while it was in office and is now pretending that they support public officers.
"That was the same government that wanted to retrench and fire 2,500 from the Board of Inland Revenue and the Customs. Now they are jumping up to support the police, the workers," he said.
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