Bring in the police

Lecturer at the Humanities Faculty of the St Augustine Campus of the University of the West Indies (UWI) Rhoda Bharath went public on the issue a few weeks ago and she has now reinforced her position with British Queen’s Counsel advice that a probe into the matter can be justified. Bharath called a media briefing at the at the Hilton Trinidad, St Ann’s yesterday along with her attorney, Justin Phelps, to reveal the action she is taking in this regard.

“By a letter dated October 26,” Bharath said, “I caused my attorney to write the Commissioner of Police enclosing the advice of Queen’s Counsel (QC) and requesting than an investigation into the President, the relevant CPO (Chief Personnel Officer) and the relevant AO (administrative officer) be undertaken.” Bharath revealed she had received a legal opinion from Cathryn Mc Gahey QC that a probe can be justified into the award of a housing allowance to the President.

She had questioned the alleged payment of housing allowance between July 2013 to May 2015 whilst the President was in occupation of housing at the State’s expense.

She gave reporters copies of a purported letter dated July 9, 2013, from the Office of CPO to the Office of President that said a housing allowance is not paid to an office- holder in a fully-furnished and fully-staffed official residence, but that $15,450 would be paid for the period of occupation of temporary accommodation at Flagstaff Hill.

Bharath said despite her airing of the issue, no probe had been done by key watchdogs, namely the Office of the Auditor-General, Office of the Solicitor General, and two line Ministries.

Asked if a new constitutional set-up is now needed, Phelps said many persons have advocated for constitutional reform, but his key concern was over whether key office- holders were doing their jobs to act as checks and balances on the power of the Office of President.

He said many watchdog posts such as the Salaries Review Commission and the Integrity Commission are appointed by the President.

Bharath said her call for the police to investigate the President is unprecedented but is in the best interest of citizens.

She agreed the issue is that certain senior public officials allegedly have not been doing what they are meant to do.

“We have checks and balances on paper, but are the checks and balances actually working?” she asked.

Asked if she was motivated by not being appointed an Independent Senator by Carmona, she replied that one does not lobby for such a post. She related that in 2013 the President’s Office sought a pool of persons to serve on various public bodies including the Senate. She said historian, Gerry Besson, had recommended her in response to the President’s Office requesting nominees and she had attended an interview for unstated positions, but not specifically to be a Senator.