Police not probing Harry Ragoonanan

Senior police officers assigned to the Anti-Corruption Bureau and the Fraud Squad said yesterday no report was made to them regarding any alleged misconduct on the part of PNM stalwart Harry Ragoonanan

They said no official report was made by anyone and they also made checks with other arms of the service which also revealed that there was no report made against Ragoonanan.

On Saturday after a PNM general council meeting, the Party’s PRO Stuart Young said, “It is our intelligence and our understanding that there is a police investigation that has been launched. What came to the party today was evidence of an audio recording of three separate occasions with Mr Harry Ragoonanan, a voice that has been identified as Mr Harry Ragoonanan’s talking to a Chinese businessman about the manipulation of certain tender processes at a State enterprise.”

Ragoonanan, who was suspended on Saturday, said that he had not received any official letter informing him of his suspension but insisted he was prepared to clear his name when he appears before a disciplinary committee of the party.

He denied having any conversation with anyone with regard to securing a contract for the acquisition of buses for the Public Service Transport Corporation and said he is aware of the person who is trying to sully his name.

Ragoonanan however admitted to having spoken to several people on various matters for advice, but said he never interfered with any tendering process and has been advised that he committed no wrong by having those conversations.

“This suspension is illegal and without merit.”

He identified the person as someone from the Oropouche East Constituency who, he said, took telephone conversations including a report to the PNM General Council which resulted in his suspension.

Ragoonanan said yesterday that he has known the man for the past 15 or 20 years and considered him his friend but believes he was working under instructions from a higher authority within the PNM.

Newsday contacted the man identified and asked if the accusation made by Ragoonanan about him taking information to the PNM was true. The man told Newsday, “I choose at this time not to make any public statement.”