Prime Minister Keith Rowley, who returned home from his vacation last Saturday, will be facing a series of questions on his recent US trip when Parliament meets Wednesday.
The Prime Minister’s office yesterday confirmed Rowley returned home last Saturday after leaving T&T on March 29, for a series of meetings with major international energy companies in Houston, Texas.
During that leg of the trip, he and Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister Stuart Young met representatives of Shell, BP, Exxon Mobil and EOG Resources on T&T’s energy thrust.
After what was described as successful meetings ending March 31, Rowley proceeded on a week-long vacation as he said he would have done. His vacation plans were not revealed.
Although T&T Guardian had reported last week that the PM was due to return last Saturday, there had been no official announcement until after he returned nor was any press conference held at the airport on his return last Saturday.
However, Rowley will be quizzed about his trip at Wednesday’s Parliament session—where the monthly segment concerning questions for the Prime Minister occurs. There’s been speculation whether the PM undertook some golfing.
Opposition MP Barry Padarath who queried it, said he’s filing queries for reply by the PM.
Padarath said the timing of Rowley’s visit to Houston to meet Shell was “peculiarly coincidental” since it was the same week when Shell was hosting its premier Golf Pro tournament in Houston with all-star, international players including four of the top ten ranked players in the world.
Noting Rowley “has a particular affinity” for golf and is an avid player, Padarath questioned whether Rowley “was in Houston truly for his own personal enjoyment” or whether he was using meetings “as an excuse” to be in Houston during the tournament.
Padarath called for full disclosure of Rowley’s schedule including how he spent his vacation.
Whether the questions will be accepted, he said yesterday, he didn’t know.
“But the country is entitled to explanations about its leader to clear up any speculation around him.”
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