UNC tells Lester Henry to step down

UPDATED:

The United National Congress is calling for the immediate removal of PNM Senator Dr Lester Henry after his plea of guilty on his recent drunk driving charge.

In a release yesterday, the UNC said TT was a nation in crisis which has been exacerbated by the PNM leadership. Henry pleaded guilty, to driving while over the legal alcohol intake limit on, September 23.

He was stopped on Warren Street, Woodbrook, while driving his car. He was given a breathalyser test which showed a blood alcohol content of 51 microgrammes. The legal limit is 35. He was later charged with driving under the influence and will be sentenced on January 11 next year.

The UNC said despite this being the second set of legal problems Henry has faced in 2017, still he remained protected by the PNM.

“Power must come with responsibility and, as a lawmaker, Henry should at the very least be expected to respect and obey the laws of the land,” the UNC said.

The Opposition felt Henry’s guilty plea on his DUI charge was another display that he had no respect for the position he held.

“Driving under the influence is not something to be taken lightly; it endangers every single road user. In a country plagued with road fatalities, the Prime Minister should set an example with whom he chooses to hold leadership positions,” the release said.

On June 9, Henry, while speaking as a guest on a radio talk show, alleged that former governor of Central Bank Jwala Rambarran used taxpayers’ money to effect repairs to his private home. Rambarran sued him for defamation and won, and Justice Devindra Rampersad ordered Henry to pay Rambarran $550,000 in compensation.

Rampersad held that Henry’s allegations were rather serious and served to undermine Rambarran’s independence and integrity in no small measure.

UNC minister in the Ministry of National Security Collin Partap was fired by former prime minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar after he was found guilty of driving under the influence.