JavaScript is disabled in your web browser or browser is too old to support JavaScript. Today almost all web pages contain JavaScript, a scripting programming language that runs on visitor's web browser. It makes web pages functional for specific purposes and if disabled for some reason, the content or the functionality of the web page can be limited or unavailable.

Tuesday, July 8, 2025

PM challenges Kamla to name paedophiles in PNM

by

275 days ago
20241006
Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar delivers her response to the 2025 budget in Parliament on Friday.

Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar delivers her response to the 2025 budget in Parliament on Friday.

NICOLE DRAYTON

Akash Sama­roo

Se­nior Re­porter

akash.sama­roo@cnc3.co.tt

 

Prime Min­is­ter Dr Kei­th Row­ley is chal­leng­ing the Op­po­si­tion Leader to name the so-called pae­dophiles that she claims are in the “high ranks” of the Peo­ple’s Na­tion­al Move­ment (PNM). Un­til then, Dr Row­ley said, he will dis­miss her “dis­gust­ing” claims.

On Fri­day, as Kam­la Per­sad-Bisses­sar re­spond­ed to Colm Im­bert’s bud­get pre­sen­ta­tion, she lament­ed what she de­scribed as a pal­try al­lo­ca­tion to pro­tect the na­tion’s chil­dren.

The Op­po­si­tion Leader claimed while $50M was al­lo­cat­ed to the Of­fice of the Prime Min­is­ter for “fet­ing”, in con­trast on­ly a small frac­tion of that was put to­wards child­care sys­tems. “Do you know how much was al­lo­cat­ed in this fis­cal year? A measly $1 mil­lion for child care and child pro­tec­tion in our coun­try,” she said while her mem­bers re­peat­ed­ly cried “shame” on the Gov­ern­ment.

When they set­tled down, Per­sad-Bisses­sar con­tin­ued with a sur­pris­ing state­ment.

“But we know that this Gov­ern­ment does not care about child pro­tec­tion sys­tems be­cause high PNM of­fi­cials are be­ing re­peat­ed­ly ac­cused of be­ing in­volved in a pae­dophile ring,” Per­sad-Bisses­sar said as her mem­bers thumped their desks vig­or­ous­ly in sup­port.

She added, “Yet to date, the au­thor­i­ties refuse to in­ves­ti­gate this ac­cu­sa­tion of ram­pant pae­dophil­ia in the high ranks of the PNM. Shame and scan­dal.”

Per­sad-Bisses­sar re­it­er­at­ed, “$50M for par­ties at OPM but $1M to strength­en child pro­tec­tion sys­tems in the coun­try to com­bat pae­dophiles.”

Giv­en the grav­i­ty of these claims, Guardian Me­dia sought a com­ment from the Prime Min­is­ter.

Re­spond­ing via What­sApp mes­sen­ger, Dr Kei­th Row­ley said, “Since this woman knows enough about that to raise it as part of a na­tion­al bud­get de­bate, I would not dig­ni­fy this dis­grace­ful act of des­per­a­tion with a com­ment un­til she iden­ti­fies the per­pe­tra­tors.”

The Prime Min­is­ter added, “Un­til then, I will dis­miss her and the dis­gust­ing al­le­ga­tion with the con­tempt they both de­serve.”

This is not the first time Per­sad-Bisses­sar has made these shock­ing claims.

In 2022, she ac­cused the Prime Min­is­ter of ig­nor­ing the Jus­tice Ju­dith Jones re­port in­to abuse at chil­dren’s homes, claim­ing, “This is clear­ly an at­tempt to de­flect from the dis­clo­sure that high-rank­ing PNM mem­bers were and are still in­volved in a pae­dophile ring.”

The Op­po­si­tion Leader had chal­lenged the Prime Min­is­ter to ex­pose these peo­ple if he tru­ly cared about the na­tion’s chil­dren. At that time, she had called for a po­lice in­ves­ti­ga­tion. 


Related articles

Sponsored

Weather

PORT OF SPAIN WEATHER

Sponsored

Today's
Guardian

Publications

The Executive of the National Parang Association 2025-27. Back row, from left: Kervin Preudhomme, assistant secretary; Shaquille Headley, committee member; Cheriese Pierre, committee member; Lisa Lee, trustee; Joanne Briggs, PRO; Yarelis Touissant, committee member; William Calliste, trustee. Front row, from left: Jenais Carter, secretary; Alicia Jaggasar, president; Henrietta Carter, vice president; Joseph Bertrand, youth officer. Missing: Kerrylee Chee Chow, treasurer; Chevone Pierre, committee member.

The Executive of the National Parang Association 2025-27. Back row, from left: Kervin Preudhomme, assistant secretary; Shaquille Headley, committee member; Cheriese Pierre, committee member; Lisa Lee, trustee; Joanne Briggs, PRO; Yarelis Touissant, committee member; William Calliste, trustee. Front row, from left: Jenais Carter, secretary; Alicia Jaggasar, president; Henrietta Carter, vice president; Joseph Bertrand, youth officer. Missing: Kerrylee Chee Chow, treasurer; Chevone Pierre, committee member.

The Executive of the National Parang Association 2025-27. Back row, from left: Kervin Preudhomme, assistant secretary; Shaquille Headley, committee member; Cheriese Pierre, committee member; Lisa Lee, trustee; Joanne Briggs, PRO; Yarelis Touissant, committee member; William Calliste, trustee. Front row, from left: Jenais Carter, secretary; Alicia Jaggasar, president; Henrietta Carter, vice president; Joseph Bertrand, youth officer. Missing: Kerrylee Chee Chow, treasurer; Chevone Pierre, committee member.

The Executive of the National Parang Association 2025-27. Back row, from left: Kervin Preudhomme, assistant secretary; Shaquille Headley, committee member; Cheriese Pierre, committee member; Lisa Lee, trustee; Joanne Briggs, PRO; Yarelis Touissant, committee member; William Calliste, trustee. Front row, from left: Jenais Carter, secretary; Alicia Jaggasar, president; Henrietta Carter, vice president; Joseph Bertrand, youth officer. Missing: Kerrylee Chee Chow, treasurer; Chevone Pierre, committee member.

Jaggasar returns as National Parang president

Yesterday
Charles Town junior drummers and dancers take to the stage

Charles Town junior drummers and dancers take to the stage

Charles Town junior drummers and dancers take to the stage

Charles Town junior drummers and dancers take to the stage

Jamaican Maroons celebrate, question land rights

Yesterday
Sherron Harford

Sherron Harford

Sherron Harford

Sherron Harford

Sherron Harford’s holistic mission

to transform the lives of girls

2 days ago
Despite finding out just three days earlier—on December 23—that I had breast cancer, I still got dressed and showed up on December 26, Boxing Day, for a birthday party. I didn’t go to escape the truth. I went to remind myself I was still here, still living, still me.

Despite finding out just three days earlier—on December 23—that I had breast cancer, I still got dressed and showed up on December 26, Boxing Day, for a birthday party. I didn’t go to escape the truth. I went to remind myself I was still here, still living, still me.

Despite finding out just three days earlier—on December 23—that I had breast cancer, I still got dressed and showed up on December 26, Boxing Day, for a birthday party. I didn’t go to escape the truth. I went to remind myself I was still here, still living, still me.

Despite finding out just three days earlier—on December 23—that I had breast cancer, I still got dressed and showed up on December 26, Boxing Day, for a birthday party. I didn’t go to escape the truth. I went to remind myself I was still here, still living, still me.

Nicole Drayton’s breast cancer journey–Fear, faith, and fighting back

2 days ago