As far as Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley is concerned, the matter involving former Sports Minister Darryl Smith has ended.
Rowley confirmed this yesterday, pointing to the inability to use a report from an investigative committee on the matter. He also said that he had done the “ultimate” and fired Smith from government.
He spoke about the issue in Parliament in response to Opposition questions about the status of investigations into the Smith matter. Naparima MP Rodney Charles sought answers, noting that a member of the investigative team recently accused two senior Cabinet members of misogyny.
Government appointed the team last year to look into the termination of former Sports Ministry employee Carrie Ann Moreau and the ministry’s $150,000 settlement. Allegations of sexual harassment were involved.
When the issue broke in April 2018, Rowley shifted Smith to a junior ministerial position then fired him from Government completely a day later, citing new information. He then appointed the investigative team. Their report was submitted last year. In October, Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi and Rowley both said the report couldn’t be used because Smith had not been allowed to defend himself.
Yesterday, Rowley recounted that government and the attorney general had spoken publicly on the matter and legal advice was obtained indicating that the report, by virtue of its nature and process, could not be used in the public domain. He said the report is with the Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister and that office is also constrained by “this legal impediment.”
Rowley said he knew of no one in the Cabinet “ . . . that is guilty of misogyny.”
On Charles’ query about whether the police should handle the matter, Rowley said a report that isn’t legally sustainable would not give the police a position on it. He said he didn’t know what one would tell the police different from what the government told the public.
In response to Fyzabad MP Barry Paradath’s question about the next step to bring the matter to a close, Rowley said, “As prime minister, I had reason to be dissatisfied with the action in a ministry and actions of a minister with respect to the termination of employment in that ministry.
“As prime minister I’ve done the ultimate, which is to dismiss the minister and of course as far as I’m concerned that is the end of the matter. I don’t have any authority to do anything else on that matter.”
Rowley added, “If there are opportunities for other matters to be dealt with, it has to be done through the permanent secretary’s office and as far as I’m aware, the permanent secretary isn’t in a position to use any report which the legal advice indicates isn’t useful.”
He also said draft campaign finance reform is in readiness and the bill will soon be added to government’s legislative agenda. He said the matter is advanced and will be presented to Parliament in the “very near future.”