By Sue-Ann Wayow
PRIME Minister Dr Keith Rowley seems to be digging a deeper hole for himself in the matter involving the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) executive.
This, according to Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar who said Dr Rowley attempted to deflect from the allegations made by THA Chief Secretary Farley Augustine against him, however, he only succeeded in further incriminating and implicating himself.
In a press release issued after Dr Rowley’s press conference on Thursday to further speak on the matter, Persad-Bissessar referred to the audio and video recordings of Akil Abdullah, the named whistleblower by Augustine.
She said nowhere in the Chief Secretary’s presentation did he identify and confirm that Abdullah was an active “police witness”. He only mentioned that attempts were made to bribe Abdullah to give a statement.
Persad-Bissessar said, “Yesterday Rowley boldly proclaimed that he had no idea who Mr Abdullah was, but today Rowley confirmed that Mr Abdullah is an active police witness.
“Confirmation of such sensitive information could only have come from high-ranking officials within the Trinidad and Tobago Police or officers directly involved in the investigations.
“It is clear that the hierarchy of the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service has lost its independence and is a political tool of the Rowley regime.”
Dr Rowley maintained that Abdullah was a stranger to him whom he never met contrary to what was said in the recording played.
But he said as head of the National Security Council, he must be aware of certain information.
“I cannot chair properly and effectively, the National Security Council if I have no inflow of information from the security apparatus.”
While he said he had no right to tell certain entities how to do their job, he had the right to receive information from them.
Dr Rowley maintained his denial of any meeting as alleged by the whistleblower with senior counsel Gilbert Peterson, SC, former PNM Chief Secretary Ancil Dennis, Abdullah which also involved Commissioner of Police Erla Harewood-Christopher on a phone call.
Persad-Bissessar also said it was further troubling that at Thursday’s press conference in Dr Rowley “publicly commanded the TTPS” to initiate a witness tampering investigation against Augustine she said which was ironic.
