Ghany calls on IC Chairman Gordon to quit

Hamid Ghany: "Gordon should resign"

Political scientist Dr. Hamid Ghany on Monday called for the resignation of the Chairman of the Integrity Commission, Ken Gordon. He was commenting on the latest controversy with respect to a private meeting held on May 15, 2013 between opposition leader Keith Rowley and Gordon.

Speaking on the "The Morning Brew" on CNC3 television with Hema Ramkissoon, Ghany argued that Rowley is an active politician who will naturally seek political advantage for himself and for his party. 

However, he said as Chairman of the Integrity Commission Gordon should have known better than to have a private meeting at his home with Dr. Rowley about the controversial matter of e-mail allegations that Rowley was going to reveal five days later in a motion of no confidence in the House of Representatives. 

He also suggested that if Gordon continues to justify his actions by saying that he would meet other public officials at his home as well it would set an uncomfortable precedent for new commissioners who are yet to be appointed by President Carmona. 

He said it would mean that any commissioner joining Gordon on the Integrity Commission would consider it perfectly acceptable to entertain public officials for private meetings at their homes.

He said that is why he feels strongly that Gordon should resign. 

In addition, Ghany also raised the question of whether the new Commissioners might seek to apply the ruling of Justice Kokaram in the Gladys Gaffoor matter, which permits members of the Commission to recuse other members by majority vote of the Commission. 

He suggested that the Chairman may be recused from service on the Commission by majority vote of the other Commissioners seeing that there is now judicial precedent for this.

Ghany also questioned why some of the groups, like Transparency International, the Chamber of Commerce, DOMA and others, who traditionally speak out on ethical challenges involving public officials are no so silent. 

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The interviewer also asked Ghany about the appointment of Rabindra Moonan as Chairman of the Housing Development Corporation (HDC) so soon after he was dismissed as the Chairman of Caribbean Airlines (CAL). 

Ghany said that he was "very uncomfortable" with the appointment and that it should never have been made given the grounds on which Moonan had been removed from the chairmanship of CAL.