Following is the resignation letter of former sport minister Anil Roberts which he penned to the Prime Minister yesterday.
To: Honourable Prime Minister
Kamla Persad-Bissessar:
I write to you today with a heavy heart to inform you of my desire to resign as Minister of Sport and as Member of Parliament for D’Abadie/O’Meara with immediate effect, based on the inexplicable public furore that continued unabated based on misinformation in the public domain.
It is quite unfortunate that I’m forced into this position because I don’t want to have a negative impact upon my team, the People’s Partnership Government.
Having done absolutely no wrong whatsoever, having not been mentioned not even once in a flawed Central Audit report, in which the auditors at the Ministry of Finance deviated from the audit norms, by not allowing the relevant departments in question to respond to their findings and thus allowing to enter into the public domain an erroneous report.
However, I fully accept that politics has a morality of its own and that the truth is not always sought.
Finally, the claims by so called scribes that the Westminster system dictates my resignation, couldn’t be further from the truth for the Westminster system posits that a minister’s resignation is unwarranted when departments under his portfolio over which he exerts no direct control nor ministerial authority operate ultra vires to good cooperate governance practices.
That being so, I acknowledge the unjustified political pressure being placed upon your good self and your Government.
Consequently, I offer you my resignation with immediate effect from all portfolios to allow your Government the freedom to serve the people without hindrance. I must say, that I am proud of my performance over the past four years as Minister of Sport and Member of Parliament.
I do believe I have served the people of my constituency and my beloved country to the best of my ability. May God bless you and your Government in the future.
Yours truly
Anil Roberts
Minister of Sport
Member of Parliament for D’Abadie/O’Meara