Trinidad and Tobago’s governing People’s National Movement (PNM) has announced it will withhold public comment on growing allegations that opposition Senator Janelle John-Bates improperly provided assistance to a star witness during closed proceedings of the country’s Public Accounts and Administration Committee (PAAC).
The witness at the center of the controversy is former health minister Terrence Deyalsingh, who is a key figure in the PAAC’s ongoing inquiry into state-run pharmaceutical procurement, covering the full process of importing and approving medical drugs for public use. Unconfirmed claims state that John-Bates helped draft Deyalsingh’s formal statement ahead of his submission to the oversight committee. Following the emergence of these allegations, the PAAC took the step of adjourning its scheduled Monday meeting to reset the course of the ongoing inquiry.
Opposition Chief Whip Marvin Gonzales laid out the PNM’s official stance on the developing situation during a press briefing hosted Tuesday at the Office of the Leader of the Opposition in Port of Spain’s Charles Street. Gonzales, who also serves as the Member of Parliament for the Arouca/Lopinot constituency, was joined at the briefing by two fellow PNM parliamentarians: Symon de Nobriga, representative for Diego Martin Central, and Stuart Young, who holds the Port of Spain North/St Ann’s West seat.
Gonzales explained that the PAAC operates as a permanent joint select committee tasked with scrutinizing governance practices within Trinidad and Tobago’s pharmaceutical sector. He emphasized that as a matter of parliamentary protocol, neither party representatives nor the general public are permitted to publicly discuss active matters under review by the committee, particularly proceedings that are held in private, or in camera.
Noting he is not a sitting member of the PAAC, Gonzales stressed that he has no access to the closed committee proceedings, and his only awareness of the allegations comes from local daily newspaper reporting. He added that parliamentarians bound to the joint select committee are explicitly barred from commenting on active in camera matters under the Parliament’s Standing Orders.
“Based on what has been reported in the media, this alleged incident is understood to have taken place just one or two days ago, and we do not currently have access to a full, verified set of facts related to this case,” Gonzales said. “We must exercise extreme caution to avoid violating the Standing Orders of Parliament and facing contempt sanctions. Once all relevant information is obtained through official, proper channels, the PNM will move forward with whatever action is deemed appropriate for the circumstances.”