Persad-Bissessar: No police probe of Roberts, other MPs

OPPOSITION Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar said she was not aware of any her members being under police investigation.

She was speaking with the media after the ceremonial opening of Parliament and was asked if she had any concerns about the issue.

She replied: "That is a matter for the police. I have not had any tipping-off from the police."

On former People's Partnership sport minister Anil Roberts, who was chosen as an Opposition Senator, Persad-Bissessar said there was nothing in the audit report (of the Life Sport programme) which made any allegations against him or found him guilty of any misbehaviour.

She added there was a court matter which was brought by then permanent secretary Ashwin Creed, challenging the report on the ground that it contravened natural justice.

"Anil Roberts was nowhere implicated in the report itself," she said, "nor did Anil Roberts have to go to court to get the report thrown aside. To the best of my knowledge, he is not under any investigation."

Reiterating that she was not aware of any senators or MPs being under investigation, she said, "Those are police matters. Unless there is hard evidence of any wrongdoing (then) we will deal with it."

Persad-Bissessar also countered, "How do we know that members on the other side are not under investigation? How do you know that? Maybe you should ask them."

In June senior police sources told Sunday Newsday that Roberts is being investigated for his involvement in the Life Sport programme, which lasted two years, cost taxpayers some $400 million and has been blamed for a rash of murders by criminal gangs.

Roberts previously told Newsday he has nothing to hide as police revived the probe of the programme, which he created in 2012 under the People's Partnership (PP) administration.

In 2014 Roberts was also implicated in a video which showed a man resembling him appearing to roll a marijuana cigarette. He denied that it was him in the video.

There have also been media reports of police investigating the $3 million account of a close relative of Princes Town MP Barry Padarath and also reports of Oropouche East MP Dr Roodal Moonilal being involved in investigations into fraud and corruption claims linked to half a billion dollars’ worth of contracts awarded by the Estate Management and Business Development Company.

At the media conference Persad-Bissessar was also asked to respond to Government's criticisms of her attendance during the 11th Parliament. She replied that a register is kept of attendance.

"There are a lot of false things they said in the campaign and before the campaign, a lot of false things that they repeatedly said. And therefore I attended Parliament when I could and I was here to do the people's business.

"There were days when I would not be here, but it was not that I stayed away from the Parliament. I was here and functioning as a parliamentarian."