‘Emailgate now Rowleygate’ By JULIEN NEAVES Saturday, September 13 2014 GOVERNMENT Chief Whip Dr Roodal Moonilal yesterday said if Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley had any “shame” he would have resigned after the purported emails in the Section 34 conspiracy were discovered to be fabricated. He was contributing to the debate in the Lower House on the 2014/2015 Budget at Tower D, International Waterfront Centre, Port-of-Spain. On May 20, 2013 Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley in his motion of no confidence in the Prime Minister revealed a document containing 31 purported emails allegedly exchanged between Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, Attorney General (AG) Anand Ramlogan and other high level Government officials regarding a criminal conspiracy. Ramlogan through his lawyers filed an action in the Northern District of California Court and Google Inc tendered a sworn affidavit that it searched the emails of both AG Ramlogan and Persad-Bissessar and none of the emails alleged by Rowley as belonging to either were sent by them. The AG has filed a defamation claim against Rowley. Yesterday Mooilal described it as “scandalous” that Rowley accused the Prime Minister and other Cabinet members of conspiring to murder a citizen. He noted that the Northern District of California Court had reported that the email addresses did not exist and there was no truth to the claims. “So emailgate has become Rowleygate,” he quipped. He recalled that Tobago House of Assembly Chief Secretary Orville London had previously stated that Rowley would pay the price if the information on the emails is incorrect and one man or woman would be left standing. “One woman (the Prime Minister) if left standing. And today if he (Rowley) had any shame he would have tendered his resignation,” Moonilal added. He said the findings that the emails were fabricated speaks to the credibility of Rowley, who had described the Government as reckless, dishonest and dangerous. “If you could fabricate allegations against a Prime Minister what would you do against poor defenceless citizens?” he asked rhetorically. On the budget he quoted from a number newspaper clips with positive headlines. “The only people who not pleased with the budget is the PNM,” he said. He recalled that reports for last year’s budget were “Licks for Larry” but this year it was “everybody get a slice of pie”. He questioned what was the budget “shame” the PNM was referring to, noting that the Government: increased the minimum wage by $6 and 66 per- cent compared to 20 cents by the previous PNM administration; increased old age pension by 40 percent; increased disability grant by 40 per-cent; and increased the funeral grant by 100 percent. He also questioned whether the baby care grant is a shame, noting that PNM constituents who are in need will benefit from it. He said that Rowley came to Parliament yesterday with no plan, no programme or no policy to offer citizens. He recalled that in 2010 Rowley said the PNM had made avoidable mistakes and paid the ultimate price but he now wanted to claim policies of former Prime Minister Patrick Manning. Moonilal said that Rowley announced a new study for mass transit after the PNM spent $485 million on a feasibility study for a mass transit system. “Rapid rail or racket rail?” he quipped. He also noted that if elected the PNM planned to reintroduce property tax, the revenue authority and the aluminum smelter — all plans from Manning who “they chase out from Balisier House”. He said if the PNM were elected there will be “taxation, taxation and taxation”. He noted that while Rowley spent a lot of time about the national debt and Government “spending running it up”, he pointed out that 66 percent of the $78 billion debt was related to the Clico/Hindu Credit Union matter which the People’s Partnership administration inherited from the PNM. He said the PNM left a number of outstanding bills to settle: Vat refunds of $2 billion, fuel subsidy of $2 billion and 2.6 billion for contractors. On revenue he said the administration earned $54 billion in revenue, the major source from the energy sector.“They (the Opposition) talk as if the parlour buss,” he quipped. He compared Rowley to “Chicken Little” who believes the sky is falling. “The sky may be falling on his head but not on the Government,” he added. © newsday.co.tt - newsday.co.tt
Posted on: Sat, 13 Sep 2014 16:49:03 +0000