UNC has no right

Planning Minister Camille Robinson-Regis said the Opposition UNC has no right to ask about fired sports minister Darryl Smith and the government’s sexual harassment policy since the former PP government had crafted any such document and also, PP government officials acted badly when facing their own sexual harassment claims.

She spoke at a PNM rally at Exodus Pan Yard, Tunapuna on Tuesday night. The government is now resisting calls to publish the report of the probe into the payment of a $150,000 settlement to Smith’s former aide, claiming it is unusable as Smith was not interviewed, two claims the Opposition rejects.

Robinson-Regis said, “Keep quiet about Darryl Smith. Their track record is less than stellar.” She said under the PP a woman filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against an official, but suddenly dropped it. “Mysteriously she was given a house and the case never went forward.”

Robinson-Regis said the PP government had never called for a sexual harassment policy, but the UNC was now doing so due to the Smith affair. She waved such a policy document she said Labour Minister Jennifer Baptiste-Primus had crafted in March. “I have the document here. PNM policy!”

Robinson-Regis recalled “the nipplegate affair” under the former PP government. “Like these doctors like this thing,” she quipped.

The crowd giggled and Dr Rowley seated at the head table grinned good-naturedly. “Not the geologist!” Robinson-Regis shot, in his defence.

She said under the PP, former school feeding programme head Dawn Annamunthodo was fired after alleging sexual harassment by then education minister Dr Tim Gopeesingh, who yesterday flatly denied that. Robinson-Regis said Gopeesingh should have been fired, not Annamunthodo.

Gopeesingh retorted, “This is absolute nonsense and foolishness and shows the PNM’s political desperation in their dying days.”

He alleged a dangerous cover-up of Smith’s matter at the level of Cabinet and the Public Service.

“As for myself the allegation she is speaking about were thoroughly investigated by the police and proven to be absolutely false. It was an effort to get back at the Ministry of Education and minister when a runaway State enterprise official was not allowed to get away with wanton waste of taxpayers dollars.

“I had issued a pre-action protocol letter through my attorney Ravi Ratiram on Annamunthodo at that time, which she had failed to respond to.” Gopeesingh said he was cleared “decisively and conclusively” by the police investigating.

“Meanwhile Constable Camille should do herself a favour and speak about PNM policies in utilising state-paid credit cards on personal effects such as wigs and in vitro fertilisation.” Gopeesingh also told Robinson-Regis to concern herself with an unexplained $140,000 deposit into a bank account, and her husband’s employment at WASA at a hefty salary. “She and the PNM are shameless,” Gopeesingh said.

Annamunthodo yesterday told Newsday she had since moved on with her life and so did not want to say much. On her dismissal she said, “When I was chairman, it was all about transparency and accountability and best practice. It was about getting the job done, following procedures and accounting manuals.”

UNC PRO Anita Haynes said Robinson-Regis was cynically just trying to deflect attention from Smith by talking of Gopeesingh. She said Cabinet was wrong and strong over Smith. Their “sordid display” on-stage to defend the indefensible showed they were not fit to govern.

Haynes said Robinson-Regis had tried to bob and weave around a very serious issue, to try to ridicule and minimize, even as Dr Rowley had sat and applauded. “They continue to show a level of contempt for the people of TT. Instead of trying to make amends and fix their wrongs, they have opted to politicize and show that they cannot do the right thing.”