UNC to OCM shareholders: Stand firm

Couva South MP Rudranath Indarsingh and the UNC are telling One Caribbean Media (OCM) shareholders to stand firm and not give in to what they described as “intimidatory tactics” by the Government.

At a July 14 media briefing at the UNC's headquarters on Mulchan Seuchan Road, Chaguanas, Indarsingh addressed the issue that grabbed media headlines in the past weeks.

On July 13, it was reported that OCM had received a legal letter from the National Investment Fund (NIF) requesting a list of all of the media organisation’s shareholders and the number of them who voted for and against the government nominees. The report said OCM had seven days to provide the information.

Before this, OCM expressed concerns about the appointment of one of the nominees: Shakka Subero. He is the head of government relations at Digicel.

The two nominees were Subero and insurance executive Dale McLeod.

Indarsingh said the Government had declared war on the media through its failed attempt to appoint two directors to the OCM board.

“The Government, in its latest move, has declared warfare on the media…on Trinidad Express, TV6 and i95.5, and this extends itself within the region at the Barbados Nation Newspaper and Starcom Radio Network.”

The reasons the Prime Minister and minister in the Ministry of Finance Brian Manning gave for wanting to appoint the directors were questionable, Indarsingh said.

If the Government’s reason about the precipitous decline in share value since the Government acquired ownership was accurate, it should recognise that media companies depended on public trust and the move to appoint government directors would affect that, he added.

“Having the Government appoint nominees would undermine this trust. And it must be noted Mr Subero is a senior employee with an organisation that competes with OCM companies, and since his duties include government relations, this in itself questions his independence.”

Indarsingh said Subero should tell the country about his appointment to the board of state-owned TTT and his recent resignation. He also questioned whether that did not compromise Subero’s independence.

Indarsingh claimed he had been told McLeod was a board member of CEPEP during the Patrick Manning-led government.

“UNC, this morning, condemns the actions led by Prime Minister Dr Rowley and his Cabinet. It is dangerous. It is reckless. It reeks of no longer a creeping dictatorship but a full-fledged dictatorship.

“What is the Government’s agenda, with a general election within the next year? This is a naked and obscene grab for power and a flagrant disregard for the independence of the media. The Government is desperate.

“They want to control the boardroom and influence the narrative from this media house in a desperate attempt to peddle their propaganda, knowing they have failed the citizens of this country in every sphere."

Indarsingh accused the Government of trying to attack every independent institution.

Indarsingh told Rowley and Manning the shares of OCM did not belong to the Cabinet but to the people of TT.