Gordon stays out of email probe; AG wants IC chairman to resign

Ken Gordon

Ken Gordon said on Thursday he is removing himself from any e-mail probe to be conducted by the Integrity Commission of which he is chairman.

It follows calls by attorneys representing Attorney General Anand Ramlogan and Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar for him to recuse himself from any such probe. 

However the Attorney General wants Gordon to resign.

“I demand that Mr Gordon answer all questions that have been posed to him and that he consider tendering his resignation to the President with immedi­ate effect,” Ramlogan told local media Thursday.

“It is time to press the restart button on the Integrity Commission and allow it to start with a clear slate. And he is the only remaining member from the old commission. Instead of clinging on to office, the noble and decent thing would be for the chairman to step down,” he said.

The AG said Gordon compromised himself by stating that he had confidential legal advice that he sought on behalf of a non-existent commission. “This raised suspicions about his motives, given the sudden descent into the political arena with that well-timed public release," he stated.

Ramlogan said, "His presence as chairman would erode public confidence in the Integrity Commission and cause it grave embarrassment" and added that Gordon has not acknowledged or explained his missteps and mistakes.

“That he sees nothing wrong in his conduct is alarming to say the least and renders him unfit to be chairman of such an important body with such wide-ranging power,” Ram­logan said.

Gordon invited Rowley to a private meeting at Gordon's residence on May 15, five days before the debate on a motion of no confidence in the Prime Minister and the Government in which Rowley accused top government officials of involvement in a criminal conspiracy. 

Gordon only spoke about the meeting after it was raised in Parliament by Government House Leader Roodal Moonilal.