Anna Lisa Paul
Tobago House of Assembly (THA) Chief Secretary Farley Augustine says they are not mandated or obligated to heed any advice offered by Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi.
Appearing at his first THA post-council meeting on Wednesday, he said, “The THA does not answer to the Attorney General.”
“The THA is a semi-autonomous body and we definitely do not answer to the Attorney General.”
Dismissing the advice contained in Al-Rawi’s two letters which he claimed only arrived on his desk yesterday morning, Augustine said the AG had some answering of his own to do.
He said, “I will add that the Attorney General perhaps, is not the best person to give advice on conflicts of interest, given that he is part of a government that is paying his family handsomely, multiple millions in rental.”
“Hochoy Charles? Yes I’ll take some advice from Hochoy Charles. He is Tobagonian and by right, can give me or anybody from Tobago advice. The AG? Not so much.”
Charles is also a former THA chief secretary.
Regarding possible breaches that may have occurred following the appointment of Public Services Association (PSA) president Watson Duke as the THA’s Deputy Chief Secretary, Augustine said that matter will be officially resolved by the end of this month.
He said, “A Deputy Chief Secretary is actually elected by the House.”
Indicating this was in order, he added, “The Deputy Chief Secretary has already indicated by way of a resignation letter to the PSA that effective at the end of this calendar year, he will no longer be with the PSA. I believe that that is sufficient time to allow the Deputy Chief Secretary to sever ties with the PSA and transition into additional roles of the executive of the THA.”
Duke, who was elected to head the PSA in 2009, has since tendered his resignation from the union and it will become effective on December 31.