Khan wants due process in ‘Textgate’ probe

Politicians and the media have been making pronouncements since June about search warrants against five contractors in which former Housing Minister Dr Roodal Moonilal’s name has been called, but police are yet to even speak to him.

Such continuous manner of probing what has come to be known as ‘Textgate’ is being viewed by attorneys acting for Opposition MP Moonilal, as police misconduct.

They have written to the director of the Police Complaints Authority (PCA) David West on the matter.

Senior Counsel Israel Khan in a letter to West on Monday alleged there may be certain elements in the Police Service who are working with government officials to assassinate Moonilal’s character.

On Monday, Minister in the Ministry of the Attorney General Stuart Young announced that the government will be seeking the High court intervention in several civil claims in which certain contractors and Moonilal would be made to respond to allegations of bid-rigging and collusion to defraud the country through the award of contracts by the Estate Management and Business Development Company.

Khan said he wrote to Acting Commissioner of Police Stephen Williams on several occasions following reports relating to a search warrant in Moonilal’s name seeking further clarification.

He also pointed to statements made by Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley on the issue.

He said the Constitution demands that any police investigation must be absolutely free of political influences and even the mere mentioning of such investigations by such highly an influential official as the prime minister, amounted to intrusion into the affairs of the Police Service and was against the rule of law.

Khan told West that up until Monday, he had not received a response to any of the letters he wrote Williams.

Khan stated, “The police silence in relation to my client having continued over a period of four months from June to now, on October 12, 2017, is yet another evidence of political influence and collusion with the police that has come to light in no other place than the hallowed chamber of the House of Representatives, the Member of Parliament for Arouca/Maloney, read to our Parliament, a police search warrant, in which mention is again made of my client and his alleged involvement in criminal offences.”

Khan informed West that the ‘placing’ of alleged police information and a warrant in the hands of the media and senior politicians, amounted to misconduct and corruption and must be investigated.

Khan copied his letter to Director of Public Prosecutions Roger Gaspard and Williams.