Speaker: Strike it off the records

House Speaker Barry Sinanan yesterday ordered that a remark which accused a senior PNM official of being the person behind the cocaine found in the diplomatic pouch be expunged from  the Hansard records. Sinanan also directed the media not to publish the allegation, which was made by UNC MP Kelvin Ramath. Ramnath’s charge came shortly after Sinanan denied a request from UNC MP Dr Roodal Moonilal to discuss  as a definite matter of urgent public importance “the shocking and unprecedented”  discovery and  seizure of cocaine in a diplomatic pouch at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In support of his request, Moonilal noted that the illicit drug was found in the “sealed and officially secured property of the Government.” He added that the issue suggested that there was a breakdown of supervision at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He concluded that the matter had the potential to bring “dishonour” to Trinidad and Tobago in the eyes of the international community.  But Sinanan was not convinced that the matter warranted urgent discussion. It was at this stage that Ramnath made his remark. Sinanan quickly rose to say: “I would direct that you do not record that in Hansard and I am directing the Press not to report the comment made by the member for Couva South.”

Earlier in the sitting Ramnath accused the Government of “pushing coke in diplomatic bag.” Later in the sitting as Agriculture Minister Jarrette Narine piloted an Order directing that an Agricultural Census be taken, the Opposition continued to take potshots at the Government on the issue of the cocaine in the diplomatic pouch. As Narine stated that the census would say where the farms in the country are located, Moonilal answered: “At Knowlsey (the building in which Foreign Affairs is housed)!” “We need to know whether they are family farms,” Narine continued, as Moonilal interjected: “Yes, political family.” Sinanan also denied a request from Opposition Chief Whip Ganga Singh to have the Parliament discuss as a definite matter of urgent public importance “the failure of the police authorities to diligently investigate and bring to closure” the finding of cocaine at the home of UNC Senator Sadiq Baksh.