Stop the Privileges Committee

OROPOUCHE East MP Dr Roodal Moonilal will tomorrow seek an injunction stopping the Parliament's privileges committee from meeting also tomorrow to hear allegations that he committed a contempt of the House in October, last year. The injunction application will be heard in the San Fernando High Court by Justice Avason Quinlan.

Moonilal is arguing that the committee is not properly constituted and is infected by bias. He says any hearing of the allegation against him would be illegal and any finding it makes against him, in its present constitution, would cause serious and irreparable damage to him.

The committee is expected to meet tomorrow to consider whether Moonilal was in contempt of the House of Representatives. He was referred to the committee on November 2, after House Speaker Bridgid Annisette-George ruled a strong case had been made out.

The grounds to be considered by the committee are that he wilfully and intentionally mislead the House; that he made injurious allegations against the member of Diego Martin West when no substantive motion was before the House; and that he undermined the dignity of the House by abusing the privilege of freedom of speech.

He is challenging the committee on the basis of jurisdiction, bias of two members of the committee, and due process and protection of the law. Moonilal previously said the matter which is to be investigated by the committee was reported to have attracted the attention of the police service and proceeding with this inquiry by the committee would be ill advised.