Keith Rowley's claim to Parliament that Attorney General Anand Ramlogan went to New York and complained about the ethnic composition of the Trinidad and Tobago consulate there has landed him in trouble.
On Friday, Speaker Wade Mark ruled that a case had been made out against Rowley about deliberately misleading the House ofA Representatives and that he should be made to answer before the Privileges Committee of Parliament.
It came on the same day that the committee submitted its report thyat found former Prime Minister Patrick Manning guilty of contempt for allegations he made about the private home of PM Kamla Persad Bissessar.
Read the story: Manning guilty of contempt of Parliament
Chaguanas West MP Jack Warner brought the motion against Rowley in which he stated that the opposition leader's accusations reflected on the character and conduct of Ramlogan "in such a manner as is likely to bring the House and the AG's office into ridicule and odium."
Rowley told the House on April 20 he was told by staff of the consulate that that Ramlogan went to the office and made the remarks about the ethnic composition of the staff.
However Warner and House Leader Roodal Moonilal immediately refuted the statements with Warner producing documentary evidence to show that Ramlogan had not been to New York in the past two years.
Rowley refused calls for an apology based on the evidence presented in the House and repeated his allegations both inside and outside of the legislature, reiterating that the staff told him so.
Read related story: Rowley, Warner face off over ethnic composition of state boards
The key point of contention however is whether Rowley spoke the truth when he alleged that Ramlogan "made comments openly to the staff about the ethnic composition, and raised questions about the need to fix it".
In making his case, Warner quoted from a letter to the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which stated that neither the Attorney General, nor the Leader of the Opposition visited the Consulate General at 125 Maiden Lane, New York or met with members of staff at the Consulate during his tenure April 28, 2010 to May 9, 2011.
The letter, signed by signed by Nireen Jasper, Foreign Service Officer 11, said she did not meet Rowley nor was she aware that any member of staff "met with him at any time during the aforementioned period".
Rowley is still standing by his story. He told reporters the statement about Ramlogan was made to him in the presence of witnesses but produced no other evidence to support his claim other than to repeat what he said before: "I was speaking on something that was said to me."
He said he was not in a position to confirm the AG's itinerary and even if the AG could bring his itinerary to show he was not in New York, it doesn't change the fact that the staff said something to him.
Rowley said he went to "the UN mission in New York and I was accompanied by Marlene McDonald, Donna Cox, Senator Terrence Deyalsingh and others. The mission staff received us, they assembled, I addressed them."
"They raised issues with me...and it was during that visit and in the presence of one of the members of Parliament that members of staff came and raised with me, their concerns about the Attorney General," Rowley said.
Rowley stated, "I have no fear of the Privileges Committee. I am a responsible member of Parliament."
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