[UPDATED] Deyalsingh dismisses Hosein's corruption claims

HEALTH Minister Terrence Deyalsingh on Wednesday rejected allegations by Barataria/San Juan MP Saddam Hosein that any of his immediate family have an interest in the area where the Churchill Roosevelt Highway Extension to Manzanilla Phase One from Cumuto Junction to Toco is to be built in East Trinidad.

Hosein made his allegations at a UNC public meeting in Princes Town on Monday.

In a statement issued by his ministry, Deyalsingh said, "For the record, I wish to put on the public record that neither myself nor any member of my family own any land, or have any interest in any parcel of land concerning the Cumuto Manzanilla Highway."

Hosein claimed to have documents that indicate Deyalsingh recused himself from Cabinet deliberations on the highway because his relatives allegedly owned land in the area.

“I want to ask tonight whether any minister’s land or their family’s land is going to be acquired in that project?”

Deyalsingh described Hosein's comments and attempts to politicise a longstanding Cabinet protocol as unfortunate.

He said, "The matter of recusals in Cabinet deliberations is the honourable, ethical and correct thing to do, designed to protect the public interest, and is an integral part of good governance.

"The public is advised that matters of recusals should not be weaponised to deliberately mislead the public."

In over 13 years in public life, Deyalsingh said, he has always acted in the public’s interest and upheld "the principles of transparency and integrity in public office."

He vowed this would never change.

One of the items on the agenda of Wednesday's sitting of the House of Representatives was debate on a motion in the name of Works and Transport Minister Rohan Sinanan to approve a decision by President Christine Kangaloo to acquire land for public purposes.

The purpose is the construction of the Churchill Roosevelt Highway Extension to Manzanilla Phase One from Cumuto Junction to Toco Main Road, Chainage. The motion covers 32 parcels of land in the Guaico/Tamana area.

The Senate is also scheduled to debate this motion when it sits on May 2 from 1.30 pm.

In a subsequent statement, Hosein said he was "shocked" by Deyalsingh's response to his comments on Monday. He said a Freedom of Information Application (FOIA) was sent in January 7, 2021 to the Cabinet seeking information about ministerial recusals from Cabinet meetings from September 8, 2015.

Hosein said a response to that FOIA from the Cabinet secretariat on April 7, 2021, showed that Deyalsingh recused himself from a meeting where the subject was "issuance of orders under Section 4 of he Land Acquisition Act Chap 28:01, in respect of five parcels of land to be acquired for the purpose of facilitating the construction of Phase one of the Churchill Roosevelt Highway Extension to Manzanilla Project."

He added that he raised this matter publicly "to hold the government to account to ensure good governance, integrity, and transparency in public life."

Later in the House of Representatives during debate on Sinanan's motion, Deyalsingh responded to Hosein's statement.

"On reflection and for the avoidance of any doubt whatsoever. I want to set the Hansard straight and the record."

Deyalsingh said, "Not only must we be transparent but as the old saying goes, justice must not only be done but seen to be done."

Deyalsingh observed that Hosein' comments on Monday and Wednesday would have made people believe his immediate family had an interest in five parcels of land where the highway was to be built.

"That is simply not true."

But Deyalsingh said on examining the motion, he discovered "that my second cousin removed does have an interest."

He said, "It is on that basis. I recused myself (from the Cabinet meeting)."

Speaker Bridgid Annisette-George admonished Opposition MPs for laughing at Deyalsingh while he spoke.

She said those MPs seem to "appreciate the level of their infraction."

Deyalsingh reiterated, "My personal integrity as somebody in public life for 13 years demands the highest standards, even if it is my second cousin removed."

He said, "My personal integrity means the world to me."

Deyalsingh reiterated that neither he, his wife nor children "have absolutely no interest in these five parcels of land."

He also reiterated that ministers' recusals from Cabinet meetings should not be weaponised to make people believe those recusals "have a nefarious outcome or objective."

Deyalsingh said, "Recusals are a part of the public protection and as a cabinet member, in this Cabinet, we recuse when we have to."

He thanked Hosein for accepting his explanation.