THE no-confidence motion against Reginald Armour, SC, received 234 votes for and 317 against, while the second motion, calling on him to resign as attorney general, received 241 votes for and 310 against.
This happened last week at a special meeting of the Law Association of Trinidad and Tobago (LATT) through a no-confidence motion against the Attorney General Armour, that was conducted very publicly to show that their association takes interest in their membership concerns and in matters of legal and public opinions.
The haunting question after such a spectacle is how can this be a win when we must remember what the AG actually did was allegedly misleading the nation at large.
Firstly, Armour would not comment or break his silence while Trinidad and Tobago was asking questions about what really happened. Now we understood after the whole fiasco has been played out in public view that he was caught up with alleged conflicts over a Miami court disqualifying him from a case as the plaintiff for the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago (RTT).
The Miami court order stated that after hearing arguments and all the submissions: “The Court finds that both Attorney General Reginald Armour and Sequor Law are disqualified from continuing to represent RTT in this case.”
This is because he was actually a defence lawyer in a criminal case for one of his previous high profile clients while in private practice between 2003 to 2008.
Therefore what he did while representing the second highest post within the Dr Rowley’s led administration of our country, where he is perceived as such a well-respected, credible and experience lawyer, should not be taken lightly or sugar coated by the LATT vote, that basically said that he should not be held accountable for his alleged misrepresentation due to his lapse in memory.
The Opposition Leader Kamla Persad Bissessar, SC, stated recently in a release that “when it comes to public accountability and national integrity there is no sacred cow” and lawyers in particular and citizens that choose public lives have to be beyond irreproachable. Further, it’s the constitutional duty through the representation by the Opposition to raise valid questions in the national interest.
Our mainstream media seems to have lost their way here, where they continue to publish opinion pieces that try to plaster over the truth of what occurred here because some “big name lawyers” well known supposedly highly regarded figures in T&T said the AG is “ah good boy” and have served in the fraternity honourably for decades, this was in their opinions. This attempt of twisting the truth now being put forward in most of the respected newspapers really is not good for our freedoms nor the freedom of the press or for reporting the actual facts of a story.
This is just another way to try to control us all from our constitutional freedoms, our freedom of speech, our freedom of individual thoughts and dictate to us what are acceptable in their opinions of how we should view what really occurred. The expression by opinion writers in the media are wrong if they try to twist the facts or cover up open discourse when it comes to our freedom of expression on uncomfortable and complex topics as stated by the opposition leader in a recent release.
This in my humble view is a feeble attempt by many commentators to change the narrative to explain away the obvious.
Our prime minister also has lost the credibility to act honourably in matters like this one, as he constantly ridicules and chastises the media during his press conferences, refusing to answer pertinent questions posed to him.
If this occurred in any other country where such allegations were voiced at such a high office, the person at the centre would have been asked to step down and clear the air fully so that the administration would not have to be caught up in such an embarrassing situation.
That particular Government or administration in representing the people of that country both locally and internationally would have acted swiftly to save face with such accusations and mistrust in their credibility.
How much more can we take of this failing government under Dr Rowley’s leadership before we say enough is enough.
Neil Gosine is the treasurer of the UNC. He was a former Chairman of the National Petroleum Marketing Company of Trinidad and Tobago. He also holds a Masters in Business Administration MBA , BSC in Mathematics and a BA in Administrative Studies. The views and comments expressed in this column are not necessarily those of AZP News, a Division of Complete Image Limited.
Twisting the Truth for Armour
THE no-confidence motion against Reginald Armour, SC, received 234 votes for and 317 against, while the second motion, calling on him to resign as attorney general, received 241 votes for and 310 against.
This happened last week at a special meeting of the Law Association of Trinidad and Tobago (LATT) through a no-confidence motion against the Attorney General Armour, that was conducted very publicly to show that their association takes interest in their membership concerns and in matters of legal and public opinions.
The haunting question after such a spectacle is how can this be a win when we must remember what the AG actually did was allegedly misleading the nation at large.
Firstly, Armour would not comment or break his silence while Trinidad and Tobago was asking questions about what really happened. Now we understood after the whole fiasco has been played out in public view that he was caught up with alleged conflicts over a Miami court disqualifying him from a case as the plaintiff for the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago (RTT).
The Miami court order stated that after hearing arguments and all the submissions: “The Court finds that both Attorney General Reginald Armour and Sequor Law are disqualified from continuing to represent RTT in this case.”
This is because he was actually a defence lawyer in a criminal case for one of his previous high profile clients while in private practice between 2003 to 2008.
Therefore what he did while representing the second highest post within the Dr Rowley’s led administration of our country, where he is perceived as such a well-respected, credible and experience lawyer, should not be taken lightly or sugar coated by the LATT vote, that basically said that he should not be held accountable for his alleged misrepresentation due to his lapse in memory.
The Opposition Leader Kamla Persad Bissessar, SC, stated recently in a release that “when it comes to public accountability and national integrity there is no sacred cow” and lawyers in particular and citizens that choose public lives have to be beyond irreproachable. Further, it’s the constitutional duty through the representation by the Opposition to raise valid questions in the national interest.
Our mainstream media seems to have lost their way here, where they continue to publish opinion pieces that try to plaster over the truth of what occurred here because some “big name lawyers” well known supposedly highly regarded figures in T&T said the
AG is “ah good boy” and have served in the fraternity honourably for decades, this was in their opinions. This attempt of twisting the truth now being put forward in most of the respected newspapers really is not good for our freedoms nor the freedom of the press or for reporting the actual facts of a story.
This is just another way to try to control us all from our constitutional freedoms, our freedom of speech, our freedom of individual thoughts and dictate to us what are acceptable in their opinions of how we should view what really occurred. The expression by opinion writers in the media are wrong if they try to twist the facts or cover up open discourse when it comes to our freedom of expression on uncomfortable and complex topics as stated by the opposition leader in a recent release.
This in my humble view is a feeble attempt by many commentators to change the narrative to explain away the obvious.
Our prime minister also has lost the credibility to act honourably in matters like this one, as he constantly ridicules and chastises the media during his press conferences, refusing to answer pertinent questions posed to him.
If this occurred in any other country where such allegations were voiced at such a high office, the person at the centre would have been asked to step down and clear the air fully so that the administration would not have to be caught up in such an embarrassing situation.
That particular Government or administration in representing the people of that country both locally and internationally would have acted swiftly to save face with such accusations and mistrust in their credibility.
How much more can we take of this failing government under Dr Rowley’s leadership before we say enough is enough.
Neil Gosine is the treasurer of the UNC. He was a former Chairman of the National Petroleum Marketing Company of Trinidad and Tobago. He also holds a Masters in Business Administration MBA , BSC in Mathematics and a BA in Administrative Studies. The views and comments expressed in this column are not necessarily those of AZP News, a Division of Complete Image Limited.