Tobago Development Minister Delmon Baker, intent now on seeking legal action against individuals he claims are out to tarnish his character, is obtaining tapes from a radio programme that carried allegations about him recently. And he has no intention of leaving the People’s Partnership Government. He confirmed this during yesterday’s sitting of Parliament.
Baker said he reported to police on Monday that he had received an e-mailed extortion threat alleging that he had conducted himself “inappropriately” and that there had also been radio reports on the allegations without any attempt to corroborate the story. The matter is now under police probe.
He said subsequently informed Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar that he had gone to the police with the intention of defending his character. He said he’ll be getting the radio tape to hear exactly what was said, especially since he’d heard some of it from people and it had caused a bit of distress in Tobago. “We’re moving very quickly to ensure this investigation moves forward,” he said, adding his attorneys were Christlyn Moore and a senior counsel.
Baker, who said he was staying in the Government, added that some people would “do anything to get you out of the way in their quest for power.” He said he believed persons were trying to cause mischief after certain ministers were fired recently. He said the situation arose on the Monday following last Sunday’s Tobago Organisation of the People (TOP) meeting, where certain decisions were taken on how TOP would go forward.
Baker denied that TOP members were leaving for the Independent Liberal Party (ILP). He said ILP meetings attracted no more than five persons. Yesterday, ex-TOP chairman Lionel Coke, now with the ILP, said he had no knowledge of the size of TOP’s financial members now, but at the last TOP election there were about 500 financial members.