JSC to address Devant’s complaint

NALINEE SEELAL

CHAIRMAN of the Joint Select Committee (JSC) for Land and Physical Infrastructure Senator Stephen Creese has agreed to address a complaint by former government minister Devant Maharaj, over the alleged failure of the JSC to protect fired acting Port Authority CEO Charmaine Lewis. Creese is expected to discuss the complaint lodged by Maharaj with other members of the JSC.

On Tuesday, Maharaj wrote a letter to Creese over Lewis’ firing after she gave evidence before the JSC in the ferry fiasco probe. In response to the letter Creese stated, “I have not yet had the chance to discuss this development at the level of the JSC. I will make every effort to do same, let me say that I appreciate your point of intercession. I will confer further with you on this.”

Creese thanked Maharaj for his letter and concerns. On Monday, Lewis was fired via email by chairman Allison Lewis.

Maharaj confirmed to Newsday that he sent a letter to Creese and said the complaint is “that the heart of parliamentary democracy was violently and viciously attacked when Charmaine Lewis was fired after her appearance before JSC.”

“It flies in the face of the government‘s whistle blower legislation and Lewis who acted as a whistle blower before the JSC was victimised subsequently.”

Contacted for comment, Lewis said she is unsure about her benefits having served the port for a considerable number of years, and said her attorneys will deal with the matter.

She pointed out she has ten months leave and when asked by board members to go on leave, she did not refuse to go but insisted she needed to seek advice from her attorneys and cited industrial relations guidelines.

Lewis said she never expected to be fired but has learnt to accept that anything can be expected out of life. Lewis maintained she is not prepared to sit down and allow her firing to be settled quietly.