I TOOK ACTION

The Prime Minister yesterday declared he acted swiftly last April to remove Darryl Smith as sports minister when allegations of improper conduct were made against him. Dr Rowley made this declaration at the post Cabinet news conference at the Diplomatic Centre in St Ann’s, as he dismissed claims of a cover-up of allegations of sexual harassment levied against Smith.

“There is no cover-up on my part and there is no cover-up in this government. I have not done so and I will not be doing so.” He reminded reporters that when concerns about Smith were first brought to his attention, “I was unhappy with that information and I took corrective action.” He explained that action came against a background of Smith featuring “in a weekend of frivolity in Tobago which was a bit excessive.”

After telling Smith this kind of news making was not advisable, Rowley said he learnt about more serious issues at the sports ministry involving Smith’s alleged conduct and the dismissal of his former personal assistant, Carrie-Ann Moreau. Planning Minister Camille Robinson-Regis was instructed to investigate the matter. Rowley said that he subsequently spoke to Smith, with Robinson-Regis present. “Report or no report, I had already been satisfied that I had to remove him and that was done. He said Smith was removed “in two tranches”, first as sports minister and then as a minister in the housing ministry. “I know of no other sanction that I could apply to Mr Smith. The ultimate sanction has been applied,” Rowley declared. He reiterated, “There was absolutely no cover-up and there was action taken by the prime minister.” Rowley continued, “I didn’t stop there.”

He said he appointed a three-member committee to examine the entire issue, which also involved the dismissal of Moreau. That report, he continued, determined that Moreau was dismissed without due process and public officers had erred. Since Smith was not given the chance to respond to allegations against him, Rowley said, lawyers advised that the committee’s report was unusable.

He recalled that under his predecessor Kamla Persad-Bissessar, a report against Anil Roberts involving the Life Sport scandal was made public. Compared to allegations against Smith, Rowley claimed Life Sport was a “far more humongous matter” involving loss of life and hundreds of millions of taxpayers’ dollars. While that report was also deemed unusable, Rowley observed, “Lo and behold, the report was made public. Mr Roberts went to court and won and the state had to pay serious liabilities and the report could not be used.”

It would be crazy for me, Rowley continued, in the face of that historical matter of recent vintage, to now be advised by senior counsel not to publish the report because it breached Mr Smith’s rights and then to make the report public. Had he done so, Rowley said, people would be asking what he exposed taxpayers to. “The important thing is what I had to do, I had done.”

Rowley said he was advised the use of a non-disclosure agreement in matters like Moreau was normal and not evidence of a cover-up. “Wherever it is, it is not with me. It is not with my office and it is not with the government.” Rowley said public liability when public officials fall short, is not a new issue and the money paid to Moreau to settle a wrongful termination lawsuit was public money. Rowley said this process is closed; the usefulness of the report is now a legal matter, the Cabinet was never involved in this matter and there is no need for him to speak with Smith about it, having already fired him from the Cabinet.

He said Smith continues to serve as Diego Martin Central MP and at the right time, the PNM will determine who will contest that constituency in next year’s general election. Rowley dismissed questions raised about attorney Michael Quamina’s role as Smith’s attorney in this matter. “That is rubbish,” he scoffed. Quamina has served as Rowley’s attorney in previous matters.

He said Quamina is very experienced in human resource matters and worked for other people. “Getting involved in this particular matter in no way casts any aspersions on the integrity of Mr Quamina.” Quamina is the chairman of Trinidad Petroleum Holdings Ltd.

At the start of the news conference, Rowley recalled that one week ago he celebrated his 70th birthday and yesterday, he had to deal with allegations of a cover-up. While many people are excited about a scandal, Rowley said, “I have nothing to hide and in fact, I have acted quite expeditiously.”