Kamla insists: EMBD lawsuits driven by race, politics

OPPOSITION leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar has doubled down on her claims that the ongoing civil case against Oropouche East MP Roodal Moonilal, concerning contracts awarded by the Estate Management and Business Development Company Ltd (EMBD), is both politically and racially motivated.

Persad-Bissessar accused The Prime Minister of using the case to fuel racial divisions ahead of the upcoming general election. She also said there was no merit to the allegations.

“It's the same old discredited news that's ten years old,” Persad-Bissessar told Newsday on February 14, ahead of the party’s latest screening session at its Chaguanas headquarters, where she delivered similar statements.

“Nothing new from Mr Emailgate, Mr Not Closing Petrotrin, Mr No Property Tax.”

Her comments came in response to Rowley’s media conference earlier in the day, in which he rejected claims that the EMBD case was politically driven.

Rowley described Persad-Bissessar’s statements or racial motivation for the EMBD lawsuit as "offensive" and dismissed allegations that the case was being used as an election strategy.

"You have nothing to fear from the rest of the population. The law will determine who is police and who is thief," said Rowley.

The civil case, brought by the EMBD on behalf of taxpayers in 2017, involves allegations of corruption related to multimillion-dollar contracts awarded in 2015, during the UNC-led People's Partnership's term in office.

The PM presented Cabinet documents and timelines arguing that the matter was a legal issue rather than a political one.

He criticised Persad-Bissessar and Moonilal for attempting to frame the case as part of an effort by the PNM to undermine the UNC.

"This matter has nothing to do with the PNM or the elections. The courts will decide," he said.
Persad-Bissessar, in response, insisted that the EMBD board, which initiated the legal proceedings, was "hand-picked" by the PNM and that the case was designed to cast Indo-Trinidadians, and by extension UNC supporters, in a negative light.

"This is not a matter that law-enforcement authorities have brought to the courts. This is a civil matter that was brought to court by the Rowley hand-picked EMBD board and drafted by hand-picked PNM lawyers.

“It’s a propaganda piece to attack the UNC as ‘all them thieving Indians,’" she said.

She alleged that the ruling PNM had historically used racial narratives to discredit UNC and its supporters.

“The PNM ground campaign for decades has always been to paint Indians as UNC-voting thieves, idol worshippers, lagoon dwellers, rum drinkers, and cane cutters who have no moral and spiritual values.”

"He's giving these details as part of his deliberate and co-ordinated racist propaganda campaign for the PNM ground troops to use in the general election,"

Persad-Bissessar also pointed to what she described as failures of the PNM government, suggesting that the renewed focus on the EMBD case was a distraction from more pressing national issues.

"While he gives himself a million-dollar back pay and a 47 per cent increase for life but only gives workers four per cent, and can't account for the missing $3 billion, he wants to shift the conversation to the UNC," she said.

Rowley dismissed her claims, saying the courts, not the government were handling the case.

"Attempts to have the matter thrown out have failed because the courts see fit to adjudicate the case," he stated.

He also criticised Persad-Bissessar and Moonilal for attempting to trivialise the legal process, saying, "Who are these two people who can so flippantly and hopefully dismiss (court proceedings?)"