Moonilal threatens to report Rowley to police

SHARLENE RAMPERSAD

ALTHOUGH he sees Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley as “a harmless 70-year-old man”, Oropouche East MP Dr Roodal Moonilal is vowing to report Rowley to the police if he continues to use threatening language against him.

At a press briefing on Sunday at the University of TT (UTT) in Tarouba, where his constituency’s team was playing a cricket match, Moonilal said he is calling on Rowley to let his statement on Friday in Parliament be the last of its kind against him.

During a sitting in the House of Representatives on Friday, Moonilal took the floor and asked if the PNM would be paying for Public Administration Minister Maxie Cuffie’s medical treatment instead of using taxpayers’ money.

In response, Rowley said if Moonilal wanted to speak about party elites, he would meet him outside on the pavement.

The UNC, on Sunday, issued a statement condemning Rowley’s stance.

“The outburst of the Prime Minister is something that the UNC today condemned and I condemn in the strongest possible language,” Moonilal said.

“Dr Rowley is the leader of a political party and while I personally see him as harmless, he is the leader of a party and he may be inciting and instigating others to use violence as a means to settle political arguments.” Moonilal said that kind of action happens in disputed territories around the world but it is not for TT.

“While I say I have no fear, I don’t see Dr Rowley himself as anyone to fear.

He is harmless, he is a 70-year-old man, but he may be inciting others and that is what we condemn.”

Admitting that he is capable of responding in a like or worse manner, Moonilal said he is prepared to go to the police if Rowley continues to behave like “Gold Teeth, the bad John.”

As for the pavement, Moonilal said whether it’s in Debe or on Wrightson Road, he may consider confronting Rowley to sort it out.