Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar yesterday called on Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley to resign immediately in the wake of word from the Integrity Commission that its investigation into the May 2013 Emailgate matter had been closed.She made the comment in the House of Representatives yesterday while making a statement on the matter.
She began by recalling that it was exactly two years ago when Rowley, in presenting a motion of no confidence against her, told the Parliament about a thread of 31 emails which he said was allegedly exchanged among Persad-Bissessar, then attorney general Anand Ramlogan, Cabinet ministers Dr Suruj Rambachan and Dr Roodal Moonilal and then national security adviser Gary Griffith.
The matter was referred to the Integrity Commission for investigation by Rowley days after his presentation in Parliament, while Persad-Bissessar called on the police to investigate the alleged emails.But in a letter to Persad-Bissessar's attorney Israel Khan, SC, on Tuesday, the Integrity Commission said it was "satisfied that there are no or insufficient grounds for continuing the investigation... and accordingly this investigation is hereby terminated."
Yesterday, Persad-Bissessar also reminded legislators that Google Inc had previously filed a sworn declaration in a California, USA, court confirming that the email account anan@gmail.com (which was said to be that of Ramlogan) "did not exist and were therefore fake."She recalled that Rowley had "repeatedly expressed a clear preference for an investigation by the Integrity Commission over that of the police."
She said consequently, Rowley "must now do the honourable thing and tender his resignation as Leader of the Opposition and MP for Diego Martin West forthwith."Persad-Bissessar said the Emailgate matter was a "treacherous and evil plan" which "was designed to destroy me and members of my Government."
She said she was happy to be vindicated by the ruling of the commission, as it confirmed "Emailgate was a dangerous political strategy that was doomed to fail because there was absolutely no truth to it."She said Rowley, in making his allegation, was "not simply careless, he was deliberately reckless and irresponsible."
Not end of road, says PNM leader
Speaking to the T&T Guardian yesterday, however, Rowley, who was suspended from Parliament over the issue, said he was not giving any serious consideration to the PM's call for his resignation."That is 'Kamla-speak' and she is speaking to herself and her MPs in Parliament. The rest of the population know what is taking place," he said, adding he had no intention of resigning as Opposition Leader.
He insisted the police "investigation is ongoing and no matter what turns up at the end of the probe, it does not mean that an investigation was not warranted."Rowley said Persad-Bissessar, more than anyone else in the country, should know what was available to an MP with information about public officials requiring investigation.
He recalled it was Persad-Bissessar, as an Opposition MP, who took similar action in an alleged matter involving former PNM councillor Dansam Dhansook and two PNM government ministers, Franklin Khan and Eric Williams. Those allegations were subsequently recanted and the matter discontinued.