Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has seen the controversial video of a man resembling a Cabinet minister purportedly rolling a marijuana cigarette in a hotel room with two women. However, she is no clearer as to the identification of the individual. Speaking to members of the media following T&TEC’s illumination ceremony at the Mendez Recreation Ground, Penal, on Tuesday night the PM confirmed that even after viewing the video, which has gone viral, she could not determine the identity of the man.
Even after the executive of the Congress of the People (COP), suspended Sport Minister Anil Roberts for failure to co-operate with them, the PM is not being pressured into taking action against the minister as is being suggested. After the media aired the video last month, the Prime Minister had requested a report from Roberts. “I saw the video. I can’t say... and that is why I await the report,” she said, as she responded to questions about the identification of the man in the video.
She also denied reports that COP chairman Carolyn Seepersad-Bachan had written to her, asking for Roberts to be removed from her Cabinet. She said: “I have received no such letter from her or anyone else. I had asked Mr Roberts for a report on this matter... on the allegations that are being made. I am yet to receive that report.
“In the interim, I allowed the party, of which he is a member, to do their own work. They have now reported which I have read in the newspapers today. Mr Ramadhar did call me last night (Monday) and indicated the decision of the executive.” Persad-Bissessar gave no deadline for when Robert’s report is due, saying: “I hope to get his report sometime soon.”
Although she has been criticised for not taking disciplinary action against Roberts, Persad-Bissessar said she was not afraid to do so. She said there must be enough evidence to prove the minister’s involvement in wrongdoing. “Why do they think I would be afraid? Have I shown fear before? I am not afraid to do what I think is the right thing to do but I have to be certain in my mind that what is there, the evidence that is there, whatever comes forward, that it is sufficient to take action as it regards. I am not afraid,” she added.