By Prior Beharry
OPPOSITION Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar says that it is People’s National Movement (PNM) officials who were involved in human trafficking in 2020, according to a United States Government report.
She said so in a release on Saturday after Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley alleged that it was United National Congress MPs involved in human trafficking in Trinidad and Tobago during Parliament on Friday.
Persad-Bissessar said, “Keith Rowley has again abused the cover of parliamentary privilege to make a complete fool of himself.
“Any primary school student could read the US Report and understand the words ‘senior government officials’.”
She quoted the first section of the report:
“Corruption and official complicity in trafficking crimes remained significant concerns, inhibiting law enforcement action, and the government did not take action against senior government officials alleged in 2020 to be involved in human trafficking.”
Persad-Bissessar asked, “Can Keith Rowley be so kind as to tell the country which member of the Opposition UNC is currently a senior official in his government?
“The report also clearly states that the government did not take action on the allegations. There is no one in our country who would believe the Rowley PNM government would take no action if the alleged officials were UNC. Clearly, PNM officials are the ones involved.”
She said the PNM government wasted $45 million chasing ghosts at EMBD, paid millions in the Nelsongate scandal and wasted millions in Emailgate all with the intention of harassing UNC members.
Persad-Bissessar said, “Rowley would have been champing at the bit to go after any UNC official had they been accused of human trafficking to score political points.
“The PNM has already covered up the paedophile ring within their Party and Rowley must take action against the senior officials within his PNM government who have been implicated in this human trafficking scandal.
“I call on Rowley to treat the scourge of human trafficking seriously and to desist from using such a horrific crime to score cheap political points and distractions, as this is not a joking matter.”
