­COP election candidate: Dooks rejected US$1m

 Former  COP leader Winston Dookeran had rejected a US$1 million offer from a foreign company which had offered the money to get state contracts in 2010, COP incumbent finance officer Sharon Ramnarine has said. Ramnarine, who is vying for the position of COP finance officer, made the statement during Thursday’s debate by COP candidates at Tunapuna. Ramnarine is the incumbent finance officer.

Asked about the claim after the debate, Ramnarine told the T&T Guardian yesterday the offer was made during the 2010 general election campaign. She said Dookeran immediately rejected it. She said the company in question is not doing business in T&T at this moment.

Dookeran was not in his office and didn’t respond to calls on the claim either. COP’s communication officer Dr Omar Ali said he was not aware of finance matters. The T&T Guardian sent Dookeran a note in Parliament yesterday asking who the company was, and what contract was being sought, but he did not respond.

During Thursday’s COP debate, Ramnarine said she supported moves for campaign-finance reform. Also supporting such reform was elections officer candidate Satu Ramcharan and nominee for chairman, Carolyn Seepersad Bachan. Seepersad- Bachan said she will set up an Anti-Corruption Bureau in the COP for allegations of corruption to be filed and probed.