Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar has labelled Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley’s claims of a plot to assassinate Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi as Emailgate two.
Speaking at a press briefing at the United National Congress (UNC) South Regional Office in San Fernando on Sunday, Persad-Bissessar also condemned allegations by the National Security Minister Stuart Young that two high-ranking UNC officials were liaising with criminal elements on who to select as candidates in the December 2, local government elections.
“Call names, call names and give the names to the police and let the police investigate. And if there is any wrongdoing let the police investigate and let the police take action,” she challenged Rowley and Young.
Speaking at a People’s National Movement (PNM) post-budget meeting at Piggot’s Corner in Belmont on Friday, Rowley claimed that before the 2015 general elections on two occasions, a hit was placed on his life by political opponents.
Rowley also claimed that last month an assassination plot against Al-Rawi was uncovered.
Responding to those claims, Persad-Bissessar said the PNM was fabricating “nancy stories,” to gain political points.
“From the producers of Emailgate comes a last-ditch desperate attempt. Once again with a sequel, Emailgate 2. This is Rowley’s Mission Impossible.”
She said they were in panic mode because they know they failed the country and will lose the general election.
“He knows he cannot win fair and square so the actors and producers are fast at work because Balisier house has fallen.”
Saying that neither she nor the UNC will take the blame for Rowley’s failures, she said: “They are an illegitimate government politically, holding on by their fingernails hoping that the same strategy to hoodwink the population will work again. A house built on lies will surely collapse.”
She recalled that before 2015 while she was Prime Minister and Chairman of the National Security Council, information of the threat against Rowley was brought to her attention and she instructed a senior officer to inform him of the threat.
“But he made a mess of it. He made a joke of it. It was like a scandal to him. I sent an ASP to inform him of what was on the ground.
However, now as Prime Minister, the fact remains that this is the first time that Rowley has mentioned these alleged plots to assassinate him even though he has been through five major national elections and these allegations were made in 2015. We are in 2019 man. You mean for four years you did not investigate?”
She described Rowley’s allegations as wild and scandalous, she said they were made for fear-mongering and scoring cheap political points.
Declaring that the hands of UNC officials are clean and their hearts are pure, she said there was “some nonsense” about an elected MP who is a deputy leader.
“There is only one UNC MP who is a member of the executive who is a deputy leader, that is David Lee, David Lee can’t hurt a fly.”
Instead of speaking about job creation and the dealing with escalating murders, they were trying to demonise the UNC.
“So I will not fall for these distractions and distortions. Who wants to go and watch mission impossible Dr Rowley style, good luck with that.
“I will be focussed on getting T&T working again. She said all the local government candidates have been screened and are ready to hit the ground running and win their seats.