Marlene in hot water again

Sources told Newsday last night that the presence of so called Sea Lots community leader, Cedric Burke, at the ceremony officiated by President Anthony Carmona is said to have incensed Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley, so much that he was considering asking Mc Donald to step down once again. Up to press time last night, however, no action was reported one way or the other against Mc Donald.

Rowley is expected to address the matter of McDonald’s questionable guest at her swearing in ceremony on Friday.

At the post general council press conference yesterday Stuart Young, Minister in the Ministry of the Attorney General and Legal Affairs, said the matter was one for Government, and not the People’s National Movement (PNM) party.

Young is the PRO. He added that any decision dealing with appointment or revocation of an appointment of any minister, parliamentary secretary, minister of state, lies with the Prime Minister.

“As the chairman of the National Security Council he is in possession of certain information.

So, the Prime Minister, it is his sole prerogative as to what decisions he takes with respect to any of his ministers...

and you can expect the Prime Minister to have discourse on that shortly.” Police, along with their colleagues from the Special Branch and Defence Force assigned to President’s House, were yesterday asked to compile a report to be given to President Anthony Carmona on the alleged security breach at President’s House.

Sunday Newsday understands that an initial report had already been given to Carmona and the requested report was expected to be made available to His Excellency today.

Police sources revealed Mc Donald’s office had sent a list of the names of the people she had invited to the function.

They said someone identifying herself as Mc Donald allegedly called President’s House on Friday and informed the office there were others she needed to add to the list. The woman claiming to be Mc Donald was informed that she needed to send the additional name or names. None were sent.

On Friday, Burke turned up at President’s House at the ceremony and was told his name was not on the list and he was improperly attired.

Sources said he was left in the waiting room and when Mc Donald arrived, she was warmly greeted by Burke and asked the police guards and soldiers to allow him to accompany her to the swearing-in function.

The officers took it for granted that Burke was a guest of the minister and they failed to make the necessary arrangements to verify if he should have been allowed on the compound.

According to well-placed sources, Burke attended the ceremony and mingled freely with other guests.

He was introduced by Mc Donald as a constituent and a friend. He also had photographs taken with the minister, the President, and some of her guests.

Sunday Newsday understands that Rowley, who was at the function, was not aware of who Burke was, however, Special Branch officers began whispering to each other after they recognised Burke.

Burke’s name, along with his profile, is on the databases at Special Branch, the Criminal Gang and Intelligence Unit, and the Strategic Services Agency.

He was named as being a community leader, an alleged gang leader, and a person allegedly involved in illicit activities. He is well respected by persons in the Sea Lots community and owns a mini casino there. But Burke has stoutly denied being involved in any illegal activities.

Sunday Newsday understands that Burke is also a contractor and employs persons from depressed communities in and around Port of Spain (PoS). He is said to be a frequent visitor to the PoS South constituency office.

Police sources said they remain flabbergasted about this security breach, claiming if Burke’s name was submitted as a guest, red flags would have been raised and he would not have been allowed to attend the function.

Following the function at President’s House, Burke along with Mc Donald and her other guests, went to the Kapok hotel where a party was held to celebrate Mc Donald’s swearing-in as a minister. Burke reportedly left the party during the early hours of Saturday morning.

In a TV6 interview, Burke said he was not invited to the event by Mc Donald, but attended with Sea Lots resident and contractor, Kenroy Dopwell, who was invited. “It was really more like excitement than anything, just glad that she was reinstated and so forth and she was vindicated.

That was all it was about.

We didn’t even have an idea that this would have lead to all this craziness.” He said he could not be held responsible for any security breach, but it was the security officers at President’s House who were to blame. “You cannot hold me responsible for not knowing the protocol at President’s House. I have never been to there, I was never a president, and I think that if anybody should be at fault, it is who is supposed to be upholding the procedure.” A picture of Burke with McDonald and Carmona was posted on Fixing T&T’s Facebook page, making the public aware of Burke’s attendance at the event, as well as some of his history.

In a statement, head of Fixin’ T&T, Kirk Waite, said the situation was just an example that politicians had no interest in implementing effective laws that govern corruption because they, along with their friends and financiers, benefit from the chaos.

“Fixin’ T&T deems corruption to be the ultimate evil.

All other levels of our crime scourge are symptoms of corruption.

The time has come to effectively treat with bandits from the hills of Goodwood Park to the hills of Laventille; from Captain to Cook; from Parliamentarian to President.” Speaking to Sunday Newsday, Waite said there were many people involved with criminal activity who dress in nice suits, go to nice offices, live in fancy houses, and drive nice vehicles.

He described them as “thugs who use a pen, instead of a gun.” He said the fact that white-collar criminals get away with crime may encourage others to try similar illegal activities.

Therefore, he said, it was up to the people of TT to insist on the legislation and to accept nothing less.

Calls to McDonald’s cell phone went straight to voicemail.