分类： politics

A deepening parliamentary controversy in Trinidad and Tobago has placed two opposition senators under formal investigation, with one already stepping forward to offer her resignation amid allegations of conspiracy to deceive a key legislative committee. The controversy traces back to an ongoing Public Administration and Appropriations Committee (PAAC) inquiry into the government’s pharmaceutical acquisition processes, which centers on claims that former Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh pressured the National Insurance Property Development Company Ltd (NIPDEC) to grant preferential payment terms to a major pharmaceutical importer.

The issue first came to light two weeks ago, on April 13, during a closed-door PAAC meeting. When Deyalsingh submitted a formal witness statement to the committee on April 8, committee investigators discovered tracked edits in the document that could be traced directly to Opposition Senator Janelle John-Bates. The PAAC subsequently finalized a Special Report highlighting John-Bates’ conduct, and alleged that she and fellow Opposition Senator Faris Al-Rawi participated in a conspiracy to commit contempt of Parliament by failing to disclose their roles in preparing Deyalsingh’s evidence.

During yesterday’s sitting of the Senate, the upper house of Trinidad and Tobago’s Parliament, John-Bates opened her remarks by issuing a public apology and formally submitting her resignation to Opposition Leader Pennelope Beckles. While she apologized for the public controversy her involvement sparked, John-Bates firmly denied any allegations of conspiracy or intent to obstruct parliamentary work. “I recognise that my involvement in this matter has given rise to public concern and has contributed to a level of controversy that risks distracting from the important work of this honourable Parliament and from the issues affecting the people of Trinidad and Tobago,” she stated in her address. “For that, I apologise unequivocally to the citizens of our country and to the members of this Senate. It was not my intention to obstruct or impede the work of the Committee or the Parliament, and I deny that I conspired to commit a contempt of Parliament.”

For his part, Al-Rawi has defended his actions, noting that he served as Deyalsingh’s personal attorney for the committee proceedings, and has not issued an apology or resignation to date.

Speaking to reporters outside the Red House before yesterday’s sitting, Beckles confirmed that she is actively reviewing John-Bates’ resignation offer, but declined to share a timeline for a final decision. “Well, I am happy that she apologised so it’s under active consideration at this time,” Beckles told reporters. When asked whether Al-Rawi should also step down and issue a public apology, the opposition leader added that she had already requested a full written report from Al-Rawi and planned to hold a one-on-one meeting with him to discuss the matter before making any decision on his future in the Senate.

Shortly after John-Bates’ resignation announcement, Senate President Wade Mark ruled that a prima facie case of breach of parliamentary privilege had been established against both senators, following a motion raised by Government Senator and PAAC member David Nakhid. Mark formally referred both cases to the Senate’s Privileges Committee for full investigation. If the committee finds the two senators liable for contempt or breach of privilege, both could face suspension from the legislature.

“In this instance, my role is limited to determining whether a prima facie case of breach of privilege exists,” Mark explained in his ruling. “The decision on whether any matter referred to is indeed a breach of the privilege of this Senate or contempt of Parliament falls to the Committee of Privileges. I have carefully considered both matters and having regard to the facts presented and well-established parliamentary practice and procedure, I am satisfied that a prima facie case has been made in each instance, accordingly, I now refer both matters to the Committee of Privileges for investigation and report.”

Notably, Al-Rawi is currently a sitting member of the Privileges Committee, which means he will need to be replaced by an alternate opposition senator for the duration of the investigation into his conduct. The committee is chaired by Mark, and also includes Attorney General John Jeremie, Government Senator Darrell Allahar, and Independent Senator Michael Simon de la Bastide.

Pressure on John-Bates had already intensified earlier this week, when the Joint Select Committee on National Security – of which she is a member – was forced to suspend business after Energy Minister Dr Roodal Moonilal tabled a motion calling for her removal from the committee, citing concerns over perceived conflict of interest and impaired impartiality.

Yesterday also saw the Senate debate and vote on a motion to formally adopt the PAAC’s Special Report on the pharmaceutical inquiry. The motion passed with a clear majority, earning 18 votes in favor, 7 votes against, and 4 abstentions. Al-Rawi and John-Bates voted alongside other opposition lawmakers against adoption, while independent senators were split on the decision: one voted against the motion, three supported it, and four abstained. John-Bates will retain her senate seat until Opposition Leader Beckles makes a final decision on whether to accept her resignation.

A major parliamentary controversy unfolded during a recent sitting of the Senate of Trinidad and Tobago, where sitting government ministers launched sharp criticism against opposition Senator Faris Al-Rawi, SC, over his alleged role in a coordinated plan to compromise the integrity of the Public Administration and Appropriations Committee (PAAC). The fallout has led the Senate President to order both Al-Rawi and fellow opposition Senator Janelle John-Bates, a sitting PAAC member, to face investigation by the parliamentary Privileges Committee over allegations of contempt of Parliament.

The confrontation was opened by Labour Minister Leroy Baptiste, who tabled a motion to adopt the PAAC’s Special Report detailing John-Bates’s misconduct. Baptiste argued that Al-Rawi was fully aware of John-Bates’s status as a PAAC member, and documentary evidence attached to the special report directly and irreversibly implicates the opposition senator in the misconduct.

The evidence in question centers on a witness statement submitted to the PAAC by former Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh. In-depth metadata and tracked change analysis of the document reveals that both John-Bates and Al-Rawi contributed extensively to drafting the statement, with Al-Rawi personally carrying out revisions, edits, and in multiple cases overwriting changes previously made by other contributors.
Baptiste emphasized that Al-Rawi’s participation in the drafting process cannot be written off as an innocent oversight. Instead, he framed the actions as part of a prearranged sequence of coordinated activities that resulted in fabricated and improperly shaped evidence being presented to the parliamentary committee, directly undermining the body’s institutional integrity.

During the subsequent parliamentary debate, Senate President Wade Mark approved two separate privilege motions put forward by Government Senator and sitting PAAC member David Nakhid. Nakhid’s first motion addressed John-Bates’s conduct, noting that the PAAC’s own special report had concluded she deliberately compromised the committee’s impartiality and took part in what amounts to a conspiracy to commit contempt of Parliament. Nakhid explained that John-Bates violated core parliamentary standards by failing to recuse herself from the committee’s review of Deyalsingh’s evidence, despite having secretly assisted in drafting and advising on the memorandum, and failing to disclose her involvement to the committee. He added that if the PAAC chair had not intervened to stop her, John-Bates would have continued to take part in the committee’s deliberations, raising severe red flags about commitment to impartiality and adherence to parliamentary ethics.

Nakhid’s second privilege motion targeted Al-Rawi, a senior barrister with decades of legal experience. He pointed out that Al-Rawi’s edits appear repeatedly across the tracked version of Deyalsingh’s statement, and argued that as a Senior Counsel, Al-Rawi should have recognized immediately that John-Bates’s involvement in the drafting process was improper. Citing Erskine May’s seminal Treatise on the Law, Privileges, Proceedings and Usage of Parliament, Nakhid noted that any conspiracy to deceive either chamber of Parliament or its committees is legally defined as contempt of Parliament. He further argued that legal professional privilege cannot be invoked to shield deceptive conduct, alleging that Al-Rawi conspired with Deyalsingh and John-Bates to mislead the PAAC, thereby committing contempt and abusing the parliamentary privilege afforded to his position.

Following the debate, Senate President Wade Mark formally ruled that both Al-Rawi and John-Bates must be referred to the Privileges Committee for full investigation into the allegations.

Minister of Housing Anil Roberts joined the growing chorus of government criticism against Al-Rawi, noting that the opposition senator’s actions are particularly troubling given his prior service as Attorney General of the country. Roberts argued that the full weight of the PAAC special report and supporting evidence shows Al-Rawi witnessed a young parliamentary colleague making a serious, admitted error, and chose to do nothing to stop it. He dismissed the entire affair as an undisputed political horror story for the opposition People’s National Movement (PNM), noting that both Al-Rawi and John-Bates are trained attorneys, making their conduct all the more disappointing.

Roberts further called out Al-Rawi, a third-generation parliamentarian, by referencing public criticism from former PNM General Secretary Ashton Ford, who previously labeled Al-Rawi a non-performer. He stressed that Al-Rawi, a 30-year veteran of legal practice who previously led a high-profile prosecution that secured a witness tampering charge, should have recognized immediately that John-Bates’s actions were improper. Roberts alleged that Al-Rawi not only failed to warn John-Bates that her conduct amounted to witness tampering and urge her to resign and apologize to the PAAC, but actually joined the scandalous conspiracy alongside John-Bates and Deyalsingh to corrupt and undermine the PAAC’s core work.

Roberts closed by calling on the full Parliament to defend its institutional integrity by demanding both senators resign from office. He directed his call specifically at Al-Rawi, claiming the senior senator refuses to apologize or step down despite the weight of evidence against him. To prevent a repeat of the prior high-profile “Emailgate” parliamentary scandal, Roberts called for an immediate full investigation, including retaining United States legal counsel to compel Google via subpoena to preserve all email correspondence between Al-Rawi, John-Bates, and Deyalsingh stored on the company’s servers. He also urged the Parliament to seek formal legal opinion on whether the conduct amounts to criminal offenses including witness tampering, conspiracy to pervert the course of justice, misconduct in public office, corruption, and fraud.

On this year’s May Day commemorative march, which started from the Oilfields Workers’ Trade Union (OWTU) headquarters in San Fernando’s Circular Road and ended at Harris Promenade, Joint Trade Union Movement (JTUM) president Ancel Roget delivered a series of key updates for Trinidad and Tobago’s labor movement, sharing promising news on the long-shuttered Pointe-a-Pierre refinery and ongoing wage negotiations.

Roget, who also leads the OWTU, told assembled workers that the years-long campaign to restart the 2018-closed refinery is in its final stages, with a reopening now within close reach. Once operational again, he emphasized, the facility will bring critical employment opportunities to more than 4,000 skilled and semi-skilled workers, delivering broad economic benefits to working people across the entire nation.

The labor leader credited progress on the refinery restart to the union movement’s strategic engagement with national governance, pointing to the collaborative work with La Brea MP Clyde Elder, Point Fortin MP Ernesto Kesar, and Labour Minister Leroy Baptiste. Roget stressed that he maintains full confidence in his allies within the current government and parliament, calling on all union members to stand firm in solidarity with representatives pushing for worker interests at the national level.

His comments align with recent remarks from Energy Minister Dr Roodal Moonilal, who told attendees at the United National Congress’ national congress Saturday that multiple entities have formally expressed interest in the refinery restart program, with new inquiries emerging as recently as April 24.

Roget used the May Day platform to push back against former prime minister and former energy minister Stuart Young, accusing him of seeking to undermine the current government’s work. He issued a clear warning: if any actor attempts to derail the government’s work to advance national prosperity and progress, the country’s trade unions are prepared to launch public, on-the-ground campaign actions in response. “Leave the Government alone to conduct the business in the interest of the people of Trinidad and Tobago,” Roget said, pushing back against criticism of the administration’s efforts.

Addressing speculation around the union movement’s strategic approach, Roget responded to critics who had questioned his public silence on key issues in recent months. He explained that the movement often pursues private, behind-the-scenes advocacy to deliver results, noting that a lack of public comment does not equal inaction. “Sometimes not because you’re not hearing us saying something publicly, it does not mean we are not representing privately. We are but we have to be strategic…we are very focused and our eyes remain on the prize,” he explained.

On the topic of wage negotiations, Roget outlined significant progress for public sector workers, noting that a 10% wage adjustment has already been secured for members of the Public Services Association (PSA) and the National Union of Government and Federated Workers (NUGFW), delivered through the persistent advocacy of the union-aligned representatives. For outstanding negotiations with other unions, Roget confirmed that JTUM has scheduled a May 13 meeting with Labour Minister Baptiste, where union representatives will present their proposals and enter formal discussions. While he declined to share a fixed timeline for concluding all remaining talks, Roget gave a firm assurance to workers that every outstanding negotiation will be settled in favor of labor.

This year’s May Day march carried the official theme of “advancing the workers’ agenda,” designed to center the needs of all working people across Trinidad and Tobago regardless of sector or affiliation. Roget emphasized that the most important element of the day is participation to protect worker rights and working conditions, rather than the size of the crowd. Still, turnout for the 2024 march was notably lower than 2023’s event, including a complete absence from the Trinidad and Tobago National Nursing Association (TTNNA). TTNNA’s absence came in protest of the fact that regional health authority workers, who remain on 2013 salary scales, did not receive the 10% wage increase granted to PSA workers, a point confirmed by Stuart.

Roget closed his remarks with a political appeal to members, urging them to retain their religious values and to never support a return of the People’s National Movement (PNM) to government. Representatives from a range of major national employers including T&TEC, PowerGen, NP, The University of the West Indies, the University of Trinidad and Tobago, NTA, YTEPP, TTPWU, TIWU and MTS did participate in the event.