Sharma changed his story

In his original report made with the police at 3.30 pm last Wednesday, UNC MP Chandresh Sharma stated that Housing Minister, Dr Keith Rowley pelted him with a coffee cup, two remote controls and a panasonic cordless phone. He made no mention of any physical assault by the Government Minister. This according to the Station Diary Extract which recorded various entries on the altercation between the two members of Parliament. Significantly in a later report made at 4.31 pm “Sharma also reported that Mr Keith Rowley pushed him in his face and chest several times with his hand.” According to the Diary, a copy of which was obtained by Newsday, Sharma made his first report to the Central Police Station in the company of Siparia MP Kamla Persad-Bissessar and Caroni East MP Ganga Singh. The report was given some two and a half hours after the incident. The report of the incident followed a meeting of the Finance Committee of the Parliament as well as a UNC parliamentary caucus at Committee Room No 5.

In this 3.30 Report, Sharma stated that he was sitting in the tea room at the Parliament in the company of Roodal Moonilal, Kelvin Ramnath, Stanford Callendar and Rowley when he and Rowley began having a conversation about housing arrangements in Trinidad and Grenada. “Mr Rowley became aggrieved and proceeded to pelt a coffee cup at Mr Sharma,” the Diary said. “It is also alleged that Mr Rowley pelted two remote controls and a panasonic cordless phone at Mr Sharma hitting him in his stomach. Mr Rowley then left the tea room at the Parliament.” According to the Diary, the officers — Acting Sergeant Ramrattan and Police Constable Mitchell and Corporal Mohammed — went to the tea room and lounge area to investigate further. When they returned, they recorded more details in the Diary at 4.30 pm. They stated that during their visit to the Parliament Sharma pointed out a  spot in the area “and told us something.” The Police stated that they noticed a cable remote serial no TL-8600XV and a sharp television remote serial no 913245A “with no visible damage on the said items.”

The Diary Report said that Ms Prabha Singh a food and beverage hostess attached to the tea-room handed a broken tea cup, green and cream in colour, and told Cpl Mohammed “something about the tea cup.” The Police stated that they also interviewed Mrs Wilma Spencer the supervisor in charge of the kitchen, who stated that the price of the tea cup was around $30. The Police said they tried to interview Rowley, Ramnath, Moonilal and Callender “but they were not seen.” The officers said they asked Sharma for a signed statement and he promised to furnish one at later date “as he was still in a state of shock.” It was stated in the Diary that Sharma was given a medical report form to seek medical attention at the Port-of-Spain General Hospital. Singh was also asked and she would furnish a report at a latter date.

According to the subsequent report in the Diary at an  “additional entry” was recorded at 4.31 pm. Referring to the first entry, it stated: “Mr Sharma also reported that before he was pelted with the tea cup, Mr Keith Rowley pushed him in his face and chest several times with his hand.” All the entries were made by the same Police Officer, Ag Sergeant Ramrattan. The entry did not explain why this additional information, which forms a major part of the assault charge and to which the bruises noted in the medical certificate refer, was not mentioned in the early report. It is also understood that despite several requests, Sharma is yet to provide a written statement to the police on the reported assault.