UNC: No bribery allegations against our candidates

THE Opposition UNC on Friday dismissed rumours that the police are investigating any of its 110 local government election candidates over bribery allegations.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, a senior UNC official said, "I am not aware of any investigation into bribery involving a (UNC) local government candidate."

A second senior party official, also speaking anonymously, believed the rumours were based on cheques which are alleged to have UNC political leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar's name written on them.

This official said, "The cheque made out to the political leader is a game and a fake."

Persad-Bissessar first described these cheques as fakes at a UNC public meeting earlier this month. She called on the police to investigate.

Persad-Bissessar also called on Commissioner of Police Erla Harewood-Christopher to launch an investigation into allegations of a $.5 million bribe paid to a former UNC member to join a rival party.

In the run-up to the elections on August 14, some UNC members have resigned from the party and joined the PNM.

Two of them, former councillors Marcus Girdharrie and Sheldon “Fish” Garcia, are now contesting districts they won in 2019 for the UNC, on a PNM ticket.

The most notable defection from the UNC to the PNM so far has been Taharqa Obika, who was the party's chief economist.

Obika, who joined the PNM last month, is also a former UNC senator and unsuccessfully contested the Point Fortin constituency in the August 2020 general election.