Padarath hits Sport Ministry’s ‘witch-hunt’

PRINCES Town MP Barry Padarath yesterday condemned, what he described as, the witch-hunt in the Sport Ministry to unearth the source of a leak of documents revealing a $150,000 payout to a female former employee, fired after complaining of sexual harassment.

Responding to a story in the Sunday Newsday, Padarath asked who had ordered the “witch-hunt”.

He asked if the political directorate had given instructions to the permanent secretary or, of equal concern, whether the PS had initiated the probe into a matter in which she herself may be implicated.

“Also, I hope the Government is not using this to try to sanitise Darryl Smith.”

Padarath said when Smith had been removed from office, the PS also ought to have been removed from office, at least pending the outcome of the probe.

Recalling that Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi recently laid whistle-blower legislation in Parliament, Padarath said the Al-Rawi must now state the Government’s position on any such witch-hunt. “Was this witch-hunt sanctioned by the PS or the line minister?”

Padarath complained that an investigation into the whole Smith affair was being conducted without a public statement of any terms of reference. Recalling a recent sitting of the House of Representatives when he asked Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley about the matter, including whether he had consulted the head of the Public Service about the PS, Padarath said Rowley simply danced around the question.