Kamla: PM can’t intimidate me over Smith

Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar hit the Prime Minister for failing to release the Daryl Smith report and for allegedly making personal attacks on her, in a statement on Monday. She urged Dr Rowley to follow her lead in handling Cabinet Ministers rather than hoping problems would go away.

Rowley had said independent legal advice had cautioned him not to release the report, on a legal settlement of the firing of Smith’s aide amid sexual harassment complaints. Saying Persad-Bissessar was “hypocritical and self-serving,” he said she had released the Life Sport report which had derailed an investigation at a huge cost to the taxpayer.

Persad-Bissessar said Rowley was trying to justify his Government’s alleged culture of silence, seen in its attempts to weaken the Freedom of Information Act and its dragging of feet to enact procurement reform.

Accusing Rowley of trying to silence her by language not fit for a PM, Persad-Bissessar said, “His response is weak and vacuous, and it clearly shows that he is ready to defend the indefensible.”

She said Rowley had dragged his feet and initially only demoted Smith rather than firing him, and had only acted under pressure from the Opposition and public.

“PM Rowley has chosen the well-trodden road of an ad hominem attack in an attempt yet again to keep away from answering the questions surrounding this ugly affair. Yet again, he has failed to give any reason to the population as to what his personal attorney was engaged in when he got himself involved in this matter.”

Saying she did not fear Rowley, she demanded answers to “this mess of his own creation.”

Persad-Bissessar was glad the PM had seemingly reversed his stance to say nothing more on the urgent matter.

Demanding accountability, she alleged Rowley had tried to “deflect, distract and dance around” a very serious matter.

“As more information comes to the forefront it shows clearly why Prime Minister Rowley wanted to bury the issue, it shows clearly that there was a high-level cover-up.”

“As the Prime Minister seeks to point fingers, my record remains clear – when it comes to the public interest I acted swiftly and decisively. Members of my Government were asked to clear their names. The Rowley administration, however, has no such transparency.”

Saying the Government must be held to accountability, Persad-Bissessar said Rowley has many questions to answer. “No amount of intimidation, grand charging and bullying tactics would stop me from fighting for the people of TT.”