Rambharat: Police probing online threats against police

AGRICULTURE Minister Clarence Rambharat told the Senate, the police and other arms of national security are investigating online threats against them after protests about the police-involved killing of three men in Morvant on Saturday last week.

He was replying to an urgent question from Opposition Senator Wade Mark.

Rambharat said he could say little more because of issues of national security.

"Once these are analysed the necessary responses will be employed."

Rambharat answered an urgent question from Independent Senator Paul Richards. The minister said the family of Ornella Greaves, the woman shot dead during a protest at Beetham Gardens on Tuesday, has been given counselling by the Police Service Victim and Witness Support Unit, after which they can access follow-up counselling from the Ministry of Social Development and Family Services.

Opposition Senator Wade Mark, in a listed question, asked for contract details for the oil shipment of Paria Fuel Trading sent to Aruba which reportedly ended up in Venezuela and any clause prohibiting it from being sent to any country under sanction.

Energy Minister Franklin Khan said such a contract was subject to commercial confidentiality and any breach could harm Paria. He said, however, Paria stated the contract contained such a clause.

“As far as I’m aware there’s no independent evidence that shows this shipment of fuel actually went to Venezuela.

“Having said that, the situation is that once the ownership had been transferred to the party and once the transaction has been concluded, Paria loses title to the shipment and, as such, has no policing power as to where it ends up thereafter.”

Mark, in another listed question, asked about any forensic audit into the Government’s spending on Carifesta XIV which he said had exceeded its original $28 million budget by $12 million.

Minister in the Ministry of Finance Allyson West replied that while the initial budget for the festival had been $28 million, by July 4 last year Cabinet had approved it rising to $43 million.

“So there is no requirement for a forensic audit,” she said. Pressed by Mark if a forensic audit was needed owing to concerns raised in a recent Auditor General Report on the Public Accounts, West said her ministry’s Central Audit Unit is now doing its audit to see if any issues merit further attention.