Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar says she is willing to hand over her computer and cellphone to the police as they investigate the allegations of conspiracy raised by Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley against her and several of her People’s Partnership colleagues. Addressing thousands of supporters at the Mid Centre Mall in Chaguanas last night, during the PP’s third-anniversary celebrations, Persad-Bissessar also defended her decision to speak after Rowley brought his motion of no confidence to Parliament.
“What we saw this week was rage...a spectacle of anger and hate from a man who came to our Parliament with the most malicious and irresponsible set of lies ever presented in our legislature,” she said. She reiterated that the allegations were “false, malicious and reckless” and questioned why Rowley took so long to bring the information to the police.
“Dr Rowley got these printouts six months ago. Instead of passing them to the Cyber-Crimes Unit of the police or any other police, he took it to the President,” she said. “The President says he passed it to the Integrity Commission. “When Dr Rowley came to the Parliament with it, and it came into my hands, I did not wait to see anything, I immediately handed it over to the police for investigation.”
Persad-Bissessar noted that the allegations were now in the hands of the Integrity Commission and the police. “I am willing to hand over my computer, my BlackBerry or anything else that is required for the investigation...because I know that my hands are clean and my heart is pure,” she said. She also denied that her ratings had fallen as reported by a recent Market Facts and Opinion survey.
Saying her ratings fell by one per cent, Persad-Bissessar scoffed: “Do you know what is the difference between the two ratings—one per cent. That is the big fall. One per cent.” She declared: “Any pollster will tell you that a poll has a margin of error of either one or two per cent…So that says that my approval rating is unchanged at mid-term.”
During her presentation, Persad-Bissessar promised to end poverty, homelessness and provide better healthcare. She also said under the Children’s Life Fund, through the Ministry of Health, $18.2 million was disbursed to help 65 children.