Minister in the Ministry of National Security Subhas Panday is hoping that it was not sabotage that caused Opposition MPs to not show at yesterday's Public Accounts Enterprises Committee (PAEC) meeting to investigate state-owned Caribbean New Media Group (CNMG). PNM senator Fitzgerald Hinds, who is chairman of the PAEC, and Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley failed to show and this forced the Government MPs present to abort the meeting.
The absence of Hinds and Rowley meant that the PAEC did not have the quorum needed for the meeting-five people, including two Opposition members, one of whom is the chairman. CNMG interim chief executive officer Ken Ali and accountant Arhlene Young, who were summoned to the PAEC, left after the meeting was aborted. Panday and disappointed Government MPs who are members of the PAEC, held a press conference shortly after they aborted the meeting at 11.30 am.
"I'm hoping that it wasn't because they wanted to sabotage the meeting that they didn't come," Panday said. "We are totally disappointed with the PNM's actions." He said all five Government MPs, Independent senator Basharat Ali and the Auditor General turned up at 10.30 am for the PAEC meeting scheduled to start at 11 am. "At 11.15 am, the Auditor General departed," Panday said. "When it went over one hour, we decided to abort the meeting.
"At 11.30, PNM MP Colm Imbert appeared while we were on our way out...We did not see Rowley or Hinds and we received no word." He said CNMG had become a strain on the Treasury and they intended to find out if a vice-chairman could be nominated from among the Independents so they could continue the next PAEC if the Opposition MPs did not show up again. Labour Minister Errol McLeod, a PAEC member, added: "I'm hoping it's really not an attempt to frustrate the work of Parliament and its various committees.
"I'm hoping the work is not being sabotaged by members of the PAEC," he added. He said it was the second PAEC meeting in less than two months in which Opposition MPs failed to show and caused the meeting to be aborted. He said a number of state enterprises had been found to be not doing well over the past couple of years. "It has to do with a lot of discovered malfeasance and other uncomplimentary practices," McLeod said. Asked if CNMG fell into that category, he replied: "CNMG is a funnel...It continues to realise losses.
"We are trying to stop that and put it on the path to profit," he said. "One must feel aggravated by such discourtesy and disrespect for committee members. "If any institution can be so easily derailed by the absence of one or two people, such institutions must be immediately overhauled to bring about a remedy in the people's interest. "The leader of government business and MPs representing the Government in the PAEC are going to meet to seek to bring something to the floor to remedy such a horrendous situation."