Monday, September 26, 2011

Manning must clear the air on CL matter: Penny Beckles

Senator Pennelope Beckles said Sunday her party - the People's National Movement (PNM) - needs to "clear up some issues" with respect to the package it provided to bail out CL Financial (CLF) and its subsidiary companies.

Beckles told reporters everyone needs to accept responsibility for the collapse of the conglomerate, adding that she expects her former leader, Patrick Manning would be able to answer some of the concerns of citizens when he appears at the CLico/HCU enquiry in November.

Media reports have speculated that the former Priem Minister will be a witness for former Finance Minister Karen Nunez-Tesheira when the Commission of Enquiry resumes on November 7.

Beckles was speaking with the media at the PNM's headquarters at Balisier House where the party had gathered to celebrate the 100th birth anniversary of its founder, the late Dr Eric Williams.

Beckles said, "The debate in Parliament was a topic that came up for public debate as to why the PNM did it, why he (Manning) took that particular decision and why we did the bail-out and if there was due diligence," she said.

"Now that the Enquiry has started and a number of things are being made public some people are extremely angry about it," she said.

Beckles said it's necessary for the two key political players - Manning and Nunez-Teishera - to tell their side of the story.

Nunez-Teishera has been publicly condemned for allegedly using insider information to withdraw millions of dollars from CLICO just weeks before she was part of the government team that made aa billion-dollar deal to save the company from total collapse. The minister has always denied that.

Beckles said she s a CLICO Executive Flexible Premium Annuity (EFPA) holder and chose not to withdraw her money because it was "too contentious an issue".

"CLICO was an indigenous bank, it's where I had my annuity, what I was supposed to retire with, but it didn't quite work out that way," she said.

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Jai & Sero

Jai & Sero

Our family at home in Toronto 2008

Our family at home in Toronto 2008
Amit, Heather, Fuzz, Aj, Jiv, Shiva, Rampa, Sero, Jai