‘I am saying again, an Integrity Commission ought to have integrity’ – Dr Keith Rowley
By Sue-Ann Wayow
FOR decades, Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley says he was providing all the necessary documentation to the Integrity Commission in the same way and there has been no problem until now.
He said that since 2018, there was a proposal by the commission to amend the law to have Form B (which the public can view) to include land and building since it currently only allowed for the declaration of land. That was why, he said, that he did not declare the Inez Gate property in Form B but on Form A which was confidential but made public by him in a Facebook post this week.
There is nothing to hide and nothing to investigate, he said, further lambasting the Integrity Commission for launching an investigation into his assets, all of which according to him were obtained through legal means and bought with hard-earned money.
Dr Rowley is vowing to take legal action against those who he claimed wanted to shred his reputation to pieces, especially in an election season for political strides, mainly the Opposition and its main contender in this issue, MP for Barataria/San Juan Saddam Hosein along with Opposition Senator Wade Mark and others
“I am in consultation with my lawyers and all that they have to say in the press conference and wherever else they does meet, they will come and tell that in a court of law. You think it easy for me to stomach Wade Mark calling me a criminal? Wade Mark from the UNC? Well let them come and tell that to the court,” he said.
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On Thursday, he hosted a post-Cabinet press briefing, the last before Local Government Election on Monday, and spent most of the time talking about the issues raised by the Opposition concerning his property bought in 2019 at Inez Gate at Shirvan Road, Tobago.
The Integrity Commission stated that while Dr Rowley was i n breach of the Integrity Act, it was not taking any legal action.
Dr Rowley was armed with several documents including copies of the controversial forms A and B.
He explained the difference between them which are required to be filled out by persons in public office according to the Integrity in Public Life Act, saying the Parliament approved the wording of the forms and not the Integrity Commission.
Dr Rowley said, “I filed a declaration every single year until 2021, I’ve asked for an extension and 2022 I am currently preparing that so I am up to date in my submissions of my declaration.
“Every single year in that declaration, I have listed every single property that I own or my wife is involved with.”
He also said his oldest property in Goodwood Park which was built in the mid–eighties has been declared ever since.
Subsequent properties acquired on his own or with his wife attorney Sharon Clarke-Rowley were also always declared, Dr Rowley said.
“I have never once had a query from the Commission saying you have not put it on Form B,” he said.
Dr Rowley did indicate that there was a proposal that is not yet law to have an amendment to include land and building on Form B.
“The proposal that came before the Cabinet that has not been made into law is simply a proposal on Section 3 E, it acknowledges that E, beneficial interest held in any land in black and asking that in red the amendment be that you add and building,” he said.
Dr Rowley said, “So what the proposal is saying is that they want to amend the parent law so that on Form B where it says you fill in land as a beneficial interest that is the amendment is made by the Parliament, the parent act will be amended to say land and building.”
And according to him, “The one thing that is absolutely crystal clear is that the Integrity Commission itself accepts that ‘building’ is not required on Form B and in amending the parent act that you make building submitted on Form B.”
Dr Rowley questioned if he was wrongfully filling out the forms, why the Integrity Commission did not query them before, adding that he expects no favour from the commissioners.
“I have never once had a query from the Commission saying you have not put it on Form B,” he said.
The prime minister lashed out again at the Integrity Commission asking “What is there to investigate?” if they already had his declaration form.
“I am saying again, an Integrity Commission ought to have integrity. There is no way an Integrity Commission should have allowed this to reach where it reach.”
Dr Rowley said, “The one thing it is rest assured, my family and I, we don’t have anything that we claim, that we can’t explain how we got it.”
He also said, “The purchase by my daughter of a piece of property in Tobago from a seller has nothing to do with Wade Mark, Saddam Hosein and the Integrity Commission whether they like the price or not.”
Dr Rowley said he did not want a “bligh” from the commission and said they should have reported him to the Director of Public Prosecutions as it did in the past.
