AG slams UNC as House passes Anti-Gang Bill

ATTORNEY General Faris Al-Rawi condemned Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar for using the Prime Minister's health as a reason for the Opposition to boycott Friday's sitting of the House of Representatives.

Al-Rawi's condemnation came as he opened and closed debate on the Anti-Gang Bill 2021 in the House, in the Opposition's absence.

The House later passed the bill when the 19 Government MPs who were present voted for it.

As he looked across at the empty opposition benches, Al-Rawi said, "What explains the charade of alleging that the Prime Minister somehow contaminated his Cabinet, when that is opposite of the truth, because we meet virtually?

"I myself would not have seen the Prime Minister in person for weeks, (although) I speak to him every day, as all of my colleagues do."

Al-Rawi praised Rowley for being able to carry out "a marathon session" of Cabinet on Thursday and "turn up and do the duty for Caricom" over the eruption of the La Soufriere volcano in St Vincent.

Dr Rowley, who has covid19 and is in isolation in Tobago, is the current chair of Caricom.

"Our Prime Minister is not even permitted a day off under the circumstances of covid, and Mrs Persad-Bissessar is not here?"

After noting the Opposition was holding a news conference while the House was sitting, Al-Rawi said Persad-Bissessar continues to be "driven by the Government's car, receiving the same salary as the Prime Minister..more than the benefits of the Prime Minister..an office paid for by the people of TT...a salary cheque deposited into her account every single month."

He charged, "People don't know this but the Leader of the Opposition is chasing down entitlements and pension and gratuity that she is not even entitled to."

By her allegations about Rowley's health, Al-Rawi opined, Persad-Bissessar is saying "that the Chief Medical Officer...all the technocrats at the Ministry of Health...all of the security services at the Prime Minister's residence..are all liars or people that don't tell the truth."

Al-Rawi said all right-thinking citizens must ask, "How do we support that?"

He also slammed UNC members for saying they wish Rowley "a slow recovery and I hope you suffer."

"How," he asked, "do we watch fake-accented people, blabbering away in disingenuous circumstances, talking about the law and Prime Minister? When do we draw the line on decency and where do we draw it?"

He told the population that the Government "will think its way out of the monkey pants that the UNC brings for us all to wear."

Al-Rawi observed, "Today is a watershed day. In my short 11 years in this Parliament, I have never seen an opposition not turn up."

He said he could not remember that ever happening in the Parliament's history.

"Shame is upon us all as parliamentarians."

Al-Rawi quipped, "There is no hiding behind a fake smile and a fake charm. There is no pretending you are the mother of this nation when you can't turn up to look after children to pass anti-gang law."

Government MPs thumped their desks as he said, "Keep your crocodile tears to yourself. Don't regale this country with false care and false promise."

Recalling that 122 parliamentarians have spoken about anti-gang legislation over the last 11 years, Al-Rawi wondered how was it acceptable to allow people accused of anti-gang crimes to be detained for up to three weeks under the UNC, but only "48 hours and seven days if a judge says so" under the PNM.

He slammed Persad-Bissessar and the UNC for leaving children, members of the security forces and women vulnerable to criminals by refusing to support the anti-gang legislation proposed by the PNM. He questioned why Persad-Bissessar said no to every piece of anti-white-collar crime legislation Government tried to bring.

Against this background, Al-Rawi said, "We come to bring watered-down, gutted but yet effective laws to protect our country."

As he promised that the anti-gang legislation would be further amended to deal with other issues, Al-Rawi reiterated that if the Opposition was serious about doing its sworn duty to the population, it would have been in the House to support the bill.

"There is nothing else to say," he concluded,