DID Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley meet with the President to influence the Police Service Commission (PolSC) merit list for the Acting Police Commissioner?
This is the question being asked by Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar.
In a press release on Monday, Persad-Bissessar said the Constitutional crisis involving the PolSC, Attorney General Faris Al Rawi and President Paula-Mae Weekes continued to present more questions than answers even as the matter is before the courts.
Persad-Bissessar claims, “Information has come to me indicating that the public official who met Her Excellency the President to influence the PolSC process of selection of an acting police commissioner was none other than the Prime Minister Dr Keith Cristopher Rowley.
“Her Excellency the President must disclose if a meeting took place between herself and the Prime Minister on this serious matter. The Opposition is prepared to file a freedom of information request to access all necessary log books at the President’s House.”
There are three questions the president needs to answer, the Opposition Leader said.
They are:
“Did Her Excellency meet with Prime Minister Keith Christopher Rowley. And if so, did that meeting influence the PolSC matter involving the appointment of an Acting Police Commissioner?
“Why did Her Excellency not submit the merit list for Acting Police Commissioner to the Parliament as required by law?
“And what legal advice did Her Excellency use to determine that a year old notification to Parliament for the appointment of a person to the PolSC is legal?”
Persad-Bissessar stated, “The independence of our institutions are under threat and this new information surrounding the Prime Minister and the President is beyond troubling.”
At the United National Congress (UNC) virtual meeting on Monday, Persad-Bissessar spoke about the issue saying she received “credible information” that Dr Rowley did in fact meet with the President to influence the PolSc’s decision.
She called on Weekes to respond rapidly to the matter.
