Jwala goes after Colm

Former Central Bank Governor Jwala Rambarran.
Former Central Bank Governor Jwala Rambarran.

Former Central Bank governor Jwala Rambarran is accusing Finance Minister Colm Imbert of using his position as a minister to prevent him from obtaining employment at international agencies.

Rambarran was fired as Central Bank governor on December 23, 2015, after his appointment was revoked by acting president Christine Kangaloo on the advice of the Cabinet.

Yesterday, Rambarran was given permission to challenge Imbert’s decision not to release correspondence between himself and the director of the Intergovernmental Group of Twenty-Four on International Monetary Affairs and Development (G-24), pertaining to a job offer Rambarran received last year. The group, of which this country is a member, is based in Washington, DC, and Rambarran applied for a job there as a senior adviser. He is alleging that Imbert told the G-24 director he was against Rambarran’s appointment.

Granting leave to Rambarran was Justice Frank Seepersad in the San Fernando High Court. A case management conference has been set for November 22.

Rambarran said he applied for the G-24 position in April last year, accepted an offer of employment in August, and negotiations progressed until they hit a snag on August 16, 2016, when G-24 director Marilou Uy told him he had received “very damaging” correspondence from the Minister of Finance about him.

“She indicated that it appeared to be a personal attack as he was totally against the G-24 hiring me as a senior adviser. I conveyed my shock and surprise to the director as the position of senior adviser at the G-24 was not a political one; it was purely an administrative job. I indicated that I felt I was the victim of political bias. I informed the director that the minister has a personal and political vendetta against me and it was the only explanation for his action.”

The G-24 rescinded the employment offer and Rambarran filed the FOIA application in March this year, seeking correspondence between Imbert and the G-24 director on his proposed employment.

Rambarran is being represented by attorneys Anand Ramlogan, SC, Kavita Sarran and Douglas Bayley.

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"Jwala goes after Colm"

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