By Sue-Ann Wayow
THE United National Congress (UNC) Opposition will be filing a motion of privileges against Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley for alleging that Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar “buried” and “covered up” the Sabga Report while a member of the Basdeo Panday Cabinet.
The motion is expected to be filed this week in Parliament by Member of Parliament for Couva South Rudranath Indarsingh in accordance with Standing Order 32(2).
In a release on Sunday, the UNC stated, “This allegation is not just a blatant lie, it is a disgusting attempt by Rowley to defect from the recent scandal where evidence shows children in state facilities are subjected to physical and sexual abuse. These state facilities are under the purview of the Children’s Authority for which Rowley himself is the line Minister responsible.”
The UNC said that any attempt to distort the 1997 Robert Sabga report that revealed children entrusted to State’s care were abused and exploited will not deter the public from demanding answers from the Prime Minister and former Children’s Authority Head Nichola Harvey-Mitchell “for the horrendous crimes committed against vulnerable children under their watch.”
“The Opposition’s Motion is premised and based on substantial Parliamentary evidence which demonstrates that Keith Rowley ought to have known that his statements were inaccurate against the Leader of the Opposition,” the UNC stated.
The Opposition said that Dr Rowley grossly abused his privilege of freedom of speech as a member of the House of Representatives.
In a statement last week, Dr Rowley stated that the Panday administration failed to act with a sense of urgency when the report was obtained, saying “the Government buried it in a massive State cover up.”
“The people of Trinidad and Tobago deserve a Prime Minister who can tell the truth. The victims of child abuse deserve justice,” the UNC stated.
