National Security Minister Gary Griffith told reporters he was awaiting the outcome of the audit to start making big changes in the programme. He said controversial Life Sport community co-ordinator Rajaee Ali’s presence in the programme and those of certain other officials may be cut after the audit. People’s National Movement (PNM) MP Colm Imbert last week said Ali should be fired and noted that certain officials had “insulted and humiliated” Griffith after the minister voiced concerns about the programme.
Asked if Ali was still with the programme, Griffith, noting the audit is still ongoing, said: “There may be people who may need to be fired and not just based on questionable financial irregularities but also incompetence. “Blatant acts of indiscipline also... when you see persons who hold senior posts as programme directors making adverse statements about the government and ministers, when you have a special adviser to a minister attacking a minister, that shows indiscipline.
“One of the principles I want in the Life Sport is discipline so those persons who are indisciplined will be removed forthwith. Also those involved in questionable irregularities and persons of interest will also be removed.” Griffith said nothing like that should be done until the audit was conducted. He felt the programme had a lot of positives and intended to keep them as many youths benefited from it and it must continue.
Griffith also said he had no involvement with MP Jack Warner’s recent action over death threats to a Life Sport official. He said if anyone had concerns about criminal activity, that information should not be given to an MP but to the police and any evidence involving a laptop should be given to the Police Commissioner, not an MP.