PORT-OF-SPAIN – The Congress of the People (COP) party today called on one of its members within the Trinidad and Tobago government to step down while investigations continue into the award of a government contract awarded to her husband.
In a brief statement, the COP, which is one of five members of the People’s Partnership coalition government headed by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, said that the embattled Planning, Economic and Social Restructuring and Gender Affairs Minister Mary King should also be given an opportunity to clear her name.
“We welcome the application of due process by the Integrity Commission and other relevant authorities in executing the needed procedural investigations in the circumstances. No doubt, this would ensure that the integrity of the government remains intact, while affording the Honourable Minister the opportunity to exonerate herself from any wrongdoing,” the COP said in a statement.
“The National Executive of the Congress of the People now believes that Senator King should stand down from her ministerial portfolio, pending the outcome of the imminent investigations,” it added.
Prime Minister Kamla Persad Bissessar, who has already distanced herself from the award of the contract, has since appointed her Attorney General Anand Ramlogan to probe the matter.
The Sunday Express newspaper reported that questions have been raised as to whether King breached the law when she failed to disclose her pecuniary and family interest in a software engineering company, Ixanos Ltd, which won a Government website development contract from her ministry last November.
It said that the minister is the corporate secretary on record and a joint shareholder with her husband Dr St Clair King of Ixanos.
The paper said that investigations into the award of the near TT$100 000 (BDS$33 200) website development contract “found the minister failed to disclose her interest in the family-owned business, was present at the opening of the bids and was involved in the selection process of the four-member evaluation team which picked Ixanos”.
But it quoted her as denying all breaches insisting that the contract “awarded to her family company was open and transparent and did not “at all” represent a conflict of interest.
The COP said that the King issue had been discussed “at great length” by the executive on Monday night and that the party, headed by Finance Minister Winston Dookeran “wishes to underscore and reiterate our commitment to integrity in public life, and that our state officials must uphold the highest standards of integrity in public life.
“In this regard, the COP trusts in the power of and has respect for due, unbiased processes in preserving the integrity of our state institutions,” the party’s statement said, adding that it’s position “has been immediately conveyed to the Honourable Prime Minister, Kamla Persad-Bisessar”.
Earlier, Sports Minister Anil Roberts, who belongs to the same COP party as King, said “the right thing” for the embattled minister “is to resign immediately”.
Roberts had also criticised what he termed the “deafening silence from the leadership of my party,” adding that he would be “very perturbed and upset” if King, “who was head of Transparency International [T&T] and who wrote many columns…sees no need to resign.
. “I don’t think any of us should put the prime minister in a position where she has to make a strong move to fire us. If we know we are wrong, we should do the right thing,” he added. (CMC)
