Panday: Manning trying to duck blame

OPPOSITION LEADER Basdeo Panday yesterday declared that he was unimpressed by Prime Minister Patrick Manning’s assurances that there would be no more breaches of diplomatic bags leaving Trinidad and Tobago or any of its overseas consulates. Panday claimed that Manning was trying to deny the reality that there were persons in “foreign affairs and the political directorate who are involved in drugs.” The UNC leader told Newsday he was unconvinced by the Prime Minister’s assurances and it was the Government’s responsibility to ensure that the security of diplomatic bags leaving this country is not compromised in any way.

He wondered if Manning was admitting that under his watch, there were no security arrangements in place where the diplomatic bag was concerned. On Thursday, the Prime Minister said he knew of an instance in his 32 years in public life where the diplomatic bag had been breached, but declined to elaborate. Manning said investigations into last week’s incident were ongoing and he was “in no position to say how long that (using the diplomatic bag to transport drugs overseas) might have been going on.” The Prime Minister added that TT’s international reputation had not been damaged by last week’s incidents.