PM Kamla did not instruct PS to fire Boodoo

Andrew Boodoo

The Ministry of the People issued a media release Monday to correct information reported in a story in Monday's Express newspaper headlined "Recycling Vagrants".

The story stated that the manager of the Inter Agency Unit (IAU), Andrew Boodoo was fired on instructions given to the Permanentr Secretary by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, who is now also the Minister of the People and Social Development.

The ministry stated that the report was incorrect nothing that Persad-Bissessar did not give any such instruction. "While the Ministry can confirm that Mr. Boodoo was relieved from his duties following due process, at no time did the honourable Prime Minister instruct the Permanent Secretary to terminate his services as reported. Given the confidential nature of human resource matters, the Ministry is not in a position to provide additional details at this time," the ministry stated..

It added, "Further, there are no plans to relieve senior unit heads within the Ministry of their duties at this time. In light of the issues raised in the article, re the “recycling” of homeless persons, an internal team has been tasked to investigate the matter. The results of this investigation would be made public in due course."