Rambarran: Central Bank did not pay for repairs to my home

He said all Central Bank’s contractor did was erect a security booth at his home.

Rambarran said this was the only thing paid for by the bank and the cost of repairs to his home was paid by him.

He was testifying in a defamation lawsuit against People’s National Movement Senator and University of the West Indies lecturer Dr Lester Henry.

Rambarran has complained of statements made by Henry on June 9, 2014 while he was a guest on the Afternoon Drive programme on i95.5FM.

He is also alleging that the words uttered by Henry were done with malice and without making any attempt to verify the facts when he spoke of Rambarran’s qualifications, experience and appointment as Central Bank governor.

Justice Devindra Rampersad is hearing the matter in the Port of Spain High Court. Under cross-examination by Henry’s attorney Senior Counsel Gilbert Peterson, Rambarran accepted that in the radio interview Henry called for an investigation into the expenditure by the Central Bank at Rambarran’s private residence. He also admitted that any spending by the bank should be transparent and said the expenditure could be found in the Central Bank’s annual report.

He said he chose to return to his private residence six months into his appointment because of family considerations and because the official residence provided by the bank at Federation Park was in dire need of repairs.

This, he said, would have led to significant expenditure to make it habitable.

Henry said in his testimony that while he could not remember all the statements he made during the radio interview, he made them based on information he had that the Central Bank paid for repairs to Rambarran’s private residence.

“I did not know that as a fact,” he testified, reiterating that it was based on information he had. Henry also denied that the statements he made were defamatory.

He admitted that he never sought clarification of the issue by filing a question in the Senate nor did he file an application under the Freedom of Information Act to elicit the facts about the work done at Rambarran’s private residence.

“I conducted an investigation before making the statements,” he said when questioned by Rambarran’s attorney Senior Counsel Anand Ramlogan.

Henry said he held the belief that Rambarran was not qualified for the position.

“I thought he was the least qualified of the potential applicants.” Henry said he knew of the other candidates who were being considered by then prime minister Kamla Persad- Bissessar and it was his opinion that Rambarran was not a suitable appointment.

He also said he received a recording of the interview from the radio station but did not disclose it in the case because he did not think it was relevant or admissible.

Rambarran replaced Ewart Williams in 2012 and was fired on December 24, 2015 by Finance Minister Colm Imbert.

Directions have been given by the judge for the filing of written submissions by the judge who will give his decision at a later date.