Political analyst Dr Winford James wants to know whether somebody was trying to "set up" Opposition leader Dr Keith Rowley by giving him a series of e-mails erroneously implicating Attorney General Anand Ramlogan and Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar in a conspiracy plot.James was speaking a day after Google's custodian of records Chi Nguyen reportedly cleared Ramlogan and his colleagues of wrongdoing, saying the controversial e-mails never came from their e-mail accounts.
"If we believe in the integrity of the Google spokesperson, then it is clear the matter is now resolved and these things seem to be fabrications."If the Google representative is trustworthy, it means that the matter has resolved itself and what the Opposition leader brought to Parliament was a bunch of fabrication," James said yesterday.Saying that Rowley must now clear the air on the authenticity of the e-mails, James said it was highly doubtful that the police would be able to find the person(s) who fabricated the e-mails.
"In politics you tend to keep the identity of an informer a secret. Was somebody setting up the Opposition Leader? Since he is the one who brought it up and the content of those exchanges cannot be found on Google's servers, then there is a need for him to make a statement on the fact that the information given to him turned out to be false," James said."I don't think that police can unearth anything more," James said, noting it would be difficult to prove who fabricated the e-mails.
Attempts to reach Rowley, who is in England, were unsuccessful on Monday as calls to his cellphone went unanswered. However, in an earlier statement, Rowley said when the issue was raised in Parliament there was a call for an investigation, which both the police and the Integrity Commission subsequently launched.
In a statement to Ramlogan, which was divulged to the media on Sunday, Nguyen said: "Google certifies that it has located no e-mails sent to and from the Google apps to account anand@tstt.net.tt to or from kamlapb1@gmail.com."Ramlogan's US-based counsel Chris Sargeant also said on Sunday that action was filed in the same California-based courts to block the current Integrity Commission's legal action against Google, as it would be a duplication of efforts that would yield the same information that is already in hand.
IC probe must continue
Chairman of the Independent Liberal Party Jack Warner said yesterday he was concerned that Ramlogan had blocked the commission from doing its investigation.Saying he would not believe the Google statement until he got a second opinion, Warner said: "I find it strange how the AG investigated the AG and the AG validated the AG. I would much prefer the Integrity Commission to carry on with its enquiry."
However, in an interview Ramlogan denied that he ever attempted to block any enquiry, saying he welcomed any further investigation into the matter by the police and the Integrity Commission."There is no attempt to block any investigation. I find that ludicrous. At no time did I block any investigation, at no time did I make any such statement and I welcome any further investigations by the Integrity Commission, the Police Service, the Office of the DPP and anyone else because I welcome the opportunity to vindicate myself in this matter.
"I also want to warn that those investigations must now centre on who was behind this political conspiracy," Ramlogan said.