Rowley slams Opposition, Express over Young recusal

THE Prime Minister has come to the stout defence of National Security Minister Stuart Young, slamming both the Opposition UNC and the Trinidad Express newspaper over recusals by Young from Cabinet decisions involving his family.

Speaking at the PNM’s virtual campaign meeting Monday night, Dr Rowley said there was nothing wrong if a minister decides to recuse him or herself from making a decision in Cabinet and contended that such a decision ensured transparency and avoided the issue of conflicts of interest.

Rowley slammed both UNC political leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar and the Express newspaper for making what he described as baseless accusations of misbehaviour against Young.
“When someone recuses themselves, how does that become an illegal act on the front page of the newspaper?

“The UNC write and talk that stupidness and hand it to the Express. So, when you recuse yourself in the Cabinet you make the front page in the papers now?”
Rowley said that during an average Cabinet meeting, it was possible that over a hundred notes could be reviewed and discussed so it was normal that given the volume of notes, at least one would be in conflict of interest with a minister.

“The recusal is part of the operation of the Cabinet. It doesn’t mean you’ve left the Cabinet. That is the level of dotishness that is spoken by the Opposition.”

During a media briefing at the Ministry of National Security on Saturday, Young defended his decision to recuse himself Cabinet discussions and denied reports that his father, Richard Young – a retired banking executive – was the broker to transactions before the Cabinet