By Prior Beharry
OROPOUCHE EAST MP Dr Roodal Moonilal says Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley is travelling to Saudi Arabia with French valet Passepartout from the Jules Verne classic Around the World in Eighty Days.
He said Dr Rowley was going with CARICOM leaders to Saudi Arabia while the murder toll in Trinidad and Tobago has reached 500.
Dr Roodal Moonilal was speaking at a press conference with Princes Town MP Barry Padarath at the United National Congress (UNC) headquarters in Chaguanas on Wednesday.
He said Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley always says he was chairman of the National Security Council, adding, “well he fled, he jetted off, as (Princes Town MP) Barry Padarath told us, he left for a global Marco Polo type trip around the world.
“I think he will be in Saudi Arabia. He will be in London. He’ll be somewhere else doing some things that will bring absolutely no benefits.”
Dr Moonilal said, “And when we file freedom of information or Parliamentary question, I put it to you that that trip Dr Rowley is taking with him the guy from Around the World in Eight Days Passepartout, they will round up a nice, cool, $3 million in travel, in eating, in hotel when they are finished with that trip and we will get the data and show you. So, while that is happening 500 dead and more to come.”
He said, “Over the last few hours from the official data, we have passed the murder toll of 500. So, whatever is happening now, we have a murder toll at mid-November, more or less of 500 plus some will say 502. But the official data, at least from the police would tell us 500.”
Dr Rowley is in Saudi Arabia with Minister of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs, Energy Minister Stuart Young and Agriculture Minister Kazim Hosein.
Dr Moonilal said, “It matters not, in that the murder continues, the crime continues, the government’s failure and the failure of Minister (of National Security Fitzgerald) Hinds and the national security apparatus continues.
“And that is the fundamental point that amid all that is happening, very critical matters as MP Padarath outlined, the murder and the crime is not stopping. There is no decline in terms of criminality.”
Dr Moonilal said, “They are now prepared to take you out in front of the police station and very soon in the police station.
“That is where we have reached in this country, and this speaks volumes to the collapse of intelligence.
“The collapse of the policing, the collapse of our security in Trinidad and Tobago and who is responsible for security? Hinds says he’s not responsible.”
Dr Moonilal was referring to Kevon Moses who was gunned down after he left the Belmont Police Station on Monday.
He said, “While we express concern that diplomats are now targets, as we have been warning before, we also expressed concern that nationals and citizens of Trinidad and Tobago have been the targets of this type of attack, this type of robbery, this type of brazen daylight attack by bandits and so on with firearms, they have been the subject of attack for years under Keith Rowley and the People’s National Movement government.”
Dr Moonilal said it seems among of the most dangerous places one can be was in front of a police station.
He said, “Now, this is not the hotspot that we’re talking about throughout the country. This is in front of a police station, where presumably you have sentry, you have guards, you have police mulling around in the car park and so on. And the criminal elements fear not, that is the issue. They fear not.
“They are now prepared to take you out in front a police station and very soon in the police station.”
Dr Moonilal said, “And this speaks volumes to the collapse of intelligence. The collapse of the policing, the collapse of our security in Trinidad and Tobago and who is responsible for security? Hinds says he’s not responsible.” (With reporting by COSTAATT Intern Faith Edwards)
