‘I am also by birth a citizen of Dominica. I carry and use my T&T passport proudly. I do not possess nor use a Dominica passport’ – Reginald Armour, SC
By Prior Beharry and Chantalé Fletcher
NEWLY-appointed Attorney General Reginald Armour, SC, says he took his oath of office in full compliance with the Constitution of Trinidad and Tobago.
This after Opposition Senator Wade Mark called on him to state whether he had dual citizenship with T&T and Dominica.
At a press conference on Thursday at Charles Street in Port-of-Spain, Mark asked, “Were you born in Trinidad and Tobago or were you born in Dominica?”
Armour replaced Faris Al-Rawi as the country’s Attorney General following a cabinet reshuffle on Wednesday.
Mark cited a judgement that involved the Attorney General of Saint Christopher and Nevis.
He read, “Mr Reginald Armour, SC, is a citizen of the Commonwealth of Dominica and is an attorney with over 30 years practising at the Bar in Dominica, Trinidad and Tobago and several other Caribbean countries.”
Mark asked, “Are you a citizen of Dominica or T&T? How did you get your citizenship in Dominica?”
Mark said if Armour had dual citizenship he would be disqualified under the Constitution of Trinidad and Tobago from holding office as Attorney General.
He made reference to the appointment in 2017 of public utilities minister Robert Le Hunte who held dual citizenship to T&T and Ghana.
Mark said, “He had to run out of Piarco and head back to Ghana in order to renounce his citizenship in order to qualify.
“Is this another blunder by our incompetent prime minister because you have to be a citizen of this country to become a minister.”
Le Hunte, later on, served as minister of public utilities but resigned on May 15, 2020, as a result of professional conflict on policy positions in the Government.
Mark asked Armour, “Were you born in T&T? And if you were born and they have you down as a citizen in Dominica, how did you acquire your citizenship?”
He said if it was involuntarily acquired, then Armour should tender his resignation forthwith.
But contacted for comment, Armour told AZP News that his oath of office was in full compliance with the Constitution.
He said he was aware of questions raised surrounding his dual citizenship.
Armour said, “I am a proud citizen on T&T.
“I am also by birth a citizen of Dominica. I carry and use my T&T passport proudly. I do not possess nor use a Dominica passport.
“In this regard, I am satisfied that I took my oath of office yesterday (Wednesday) in compliance with the Constitution of T&T which I am sworn to uphold.”
