‘…I equally have a right to the same freedom to criticise the discourse of others’ – Kamla Persad-Bissessar
By Prior Beharry
OPPOSITION LEADER Kamla Persad-Bissessar has listed the State briefs of attorneys who supported Attorney General Reginald Armour in a Law Association of Trinidad and Tobago no-confidence vote last Friday.
On Monday, at a political meeting she said that some lawyers were grovelling to keep State briefs.
In a release on Thursday, Persad-Bissessar said, “When it comes to public accountability and national integrity there is no sacred cow and I have a constitutional duty to raise valid questions in the national interest.”
Saying that everyone in a democracy has a right to freedom of expression, she added that some of the opinion pieces in the media were cause for serious concern.
Persad-Bissessar said, “The hypersensitivity and attempts to dictate what are acceptable free speech and expression by opinion writers in the media are dangerous to open discourse and freedom of expression when it comes to uncomfortable and complex topics.
“In fact, this type of autocratic and repressive behaviour being exhibited by opinion media writers when it comes to free discourse, has no role in a free and democratic society such as ours. The truth is what matters. The truth must not be subverted, regulated, moderated or restrained to prevent hurt feelings and bruised egos.
“Being politically correct, inoffensive, sensitive and diplomatic has now morphed to mean narrow-minded, cowardly, obedient and an aversion to criticism and opposing views.
“I have no issue with criticism of my discourse, I welcome it as it can lead to very constructive advances, but it must be understood that I equally have a right to the same freedom to criticise the discourse of others.”
She said in the case of Armour, the public had a right to know that the “grovelling” attorneys who defended Armour at the special meeting of LATT have either received large State briefs or sat as chairmen of State boards.
Persad-Bissessar listed the following attorneys, the State briefs they received and positions, saying they defended Armour at the special meeting of LATT:
Michael Quamina:
- State briefs (2015- 2021)- $3,918,560;
- Regional Health Authorities briefs (2015- 2021) – $167,000;
- Trinidad petroleum holding limited- chairman;
- Petrotrin – chairman;
- Heritage petroleum- chairman;
- Caribbean airlines- deputy chairman; and
- Personal lawyer of the prime minister
Gilbert Peterson, SC:
- State briefs (2015- 2021)- $10,383,750;
- Chairman of legal aid authority;
- Chairman of the Telecommunications Authority of T&T;
- Lawyer for Paria Fuel Trading Company at Commission of Enquiry into the death of four divers; and
- Fuel bunkering contract.
Russell Martineau, SC:
- State Briefs (2015- 2021)- $17,802,187.50
Terrence Bharath:
- State briefs (2015- 2021)- $794,475;
- Legal fees from RHAs (2015- 2021) $690,755.29;
- Chairman of Angostura; and
- Self-proclaimed friend of Mr Armour.
Colin Kangaloo:
- Partner at Fitzwilliam, Stone, Furness-Smith & Morgan which received state briefs (2015- 2021) -$1,192,665.34; and
- Brother of President of the Senate Christine Kangaloo.
Ravi Rajcoomar:
- State briefs (2015- 2021)- TT$5,391,750
Ravi Nanga:
- State briefs (2015- 2021) $499,201.88;
- RHA briefs- $4,812,869.96; and
- Chairman of WASA.
Romney Thomas:
- Belongs to Hobsons which earned state briefs (2015- 2021)- $876,862.50; and
- Former chairman of WASA.
Farai Hove Masaisai:
- Personal lawyer of Ministry of Youth Development and National Service Foster Cummings;
- Millions paid from CEPEP; and
- Founding member of Heliconia Foundation
Persad-Bissessar said none of these senior attorneys who “grovelled” stated they were receiving state briefs or board positions at the LATT meeting.
She said, “Maybe just like their friend Armour, they all suffered memory lapses. Surely these grovelers didn’t deliberately choose to not state these conflicts of interest.
“Merely pointing out that Armour’s friends have received state briefs and board positions from the Rowley regime has triggered defensive posturing and a ‘victim mentality’ response by some.
“This only underscores the point that there are those who believe there should be one law for the people of our country and no law for the ‘eat ah food’ grovelling elite.
“A strong and independent media is a vital pillar to democracy. The free media are supposed to be shocking, fearless, crass and unapologetically offensive in the pursuit of truth in order to protect democracy.”
She called on the opinion writers to engage in serious introspection and desist from weakening the noble profession of journalism in order to appease the “eat a food” aristocracy.
Persad-Bissessar said, ‘They are doing a tremendous disservice to the actual hard-working journalists who every day go out in pursuit of the unadulterated truth.
“To all the fearless journalists in our country, keep strong, be fearless, criticise, accept criticism but never behave as these opinion writers who seek to restrain the truth to please any individual or group. Free speech and democracy depends on you all.”
