It’s unfortunate in T&T that there’s an Integrity Commission that has no integrity, says Prime Minister Keith Rowley.
Rowley waded into the Integrity Commission at a media briefing yesterday, where he defended his decision to return Marlene McDonald to Government in last week’s Cabinet reshuffle.
He also defended his decision to fire her two days after she took her oath of office at President’s House, St Ann’s, where she later appeared with Sea Lots community leader Cedric Burke.
The PM said in first reappointing McDonald before firing her again, he separated one decision from the other.
To detractors who felt Rowley didn’t consider the probe of allegations against McDonald by the commission and the police, he said,”That wasn’t true.”
He said he’d considered both and that was why he’d removed her in March 2016 after allegations arose about her dealings with the Calabar Foundation and at the Housing Development Corporation.
“I’m satisfied now the (IC) probe produced nothing,” he said yesterday.
Rowley said when he looked at McDonald’s matter and his own experience with the Integrity Commission during a probe of allegations against himself, it may very well be a situation “where the Integrity Commission is playing in the politics and people are being hurt in the process.”
He said the commission, which in October 2016 exonerated McDonald on certain aspects of its probe, said it had “other” matters to examine also. He said it was the same body that had prematurely ended Emailgate investigations, resulting in that commission’s resignation.”
He said that Integrity Commission’s actions in that issue resulted in his expulsion from Parliament. He said he’d therefore decided that if the commission couldn’t tell him what they were “holding over” McDonald’s head, even while they were exonerating her on some aspects, he’d return her to Cabinet.
He said when they eventually determined exactly what they were probing and what she may be guilty of, he’d have acted.
“We have a history and experience (with Integrity Commission) and know how far down the totem pole we’ve fallen. So I’m not prepared to accept I misled the public,” he said, adding he’d concluded it was likely the commission was engaging in what it had done before.
He said he felt the Integrity Commission should treat a subject of scrutiny in a way to make those involved in matters feel an allegation was being investigated and not have it hanging overhead indefinitely.
Rowley said he was familiar with many of the allegations against McDonald, save one about her conduct in the Housing Ministry. He said it was on that basis he’d removed her in March 2016, noting it was so that her post there wouldn’t have interfered with the probe.
“The other allegations pretty much took care of themselves,” he added.
But the Integrity Commission’s 2016 letter, which cleared her on several aspects, stated they were still examining “other” things which were undefined. He said he presumed it was the Calabar Foundation issue. However, he noted that was probed under the last PNM government and he viewed that a “certain way.”
