After People’s National Movement (PNM) leader Keith Rowley sent his package of e-mails to then President George Maxwell Richards six months ago, the head of state sent it to the Integrity Commission, says PNM PRO Faris Al-Rawi. “We are advised that this is what occurred,” Al-Rawi added yesterday. He also said PP backbencher Herbert Volney’s contribution to yesterday’s debate on the e-mails issue corroborated what Rowley had said and called for an independent probe.
Al-Rawi was speaking to reporters at the Parliament yesterday on the e-mails which Rowley revealed in Parliament on Monday, alleging a high level Government plot concerning the Section 34 issue. Al-Rawi was asked whether the PNM had checked or in some way verified that the e-mails were genuine. He said, however, that the only way to check the IP address of an e-mail was if one had a soft copy of a document.
“Dr Rowley has said that the e-mails provided to him were provided by a whistle blower and were in hard copy format,” he said. Al-Rawi also said the e-mail addresses had been “confirmed by the Members of Parliament in question, save the Attorney General’s.” He said Rowley would have taken steps himself to deal with verification but said the PNM leader would address the matter before the motion was concluded.
He said: “Dr Rowley does not pretend or purport to be an investigator. He has said he has brought it forward and let it be investigated.” He said Rowley spoke about the e-mails after six months, after sending it to the highest office holder in T&T, Richards, who demitted office in March. Al-Rawi added: “In fact, we were advised that the matter of the e-mails were referred at that time by the head of state to the Integrity Commission which can authorise any probe either by police or other agencies.”
Saying the issue has been in the commission’s hands since then, Al-Rawi said a new commission had not yet been appointed and the registrar could not deal with it, hence Rowley’s call for current President Anthony Carmona to appoint a commission. He said Rowley could not hack someone’s account or go through their IP property. He said the e-mails were represented the way they were received, including inconsistencies which Rowley was aware of. “He didn’t doctor anything. He gave it the way he got it,” Al-Rawi added
He said in Rowley’s reference to the e-mails, in mentioning someone named “Thomas” from the US Embassy, he was sure Rowley had meant to say it was US charge d’affairs Thomas Smitham. Smitham came to T&T last November 2012, according to officials of the US Embassy yesterday. A reply to the T&T Guardian e-mail in the name of US Public Affairs officer Alexander McLaren also stated that Channing Phillips, whose name was also mentioned in the e-mails, is counselor to the US Attorney General.
“For additional questions we refer you to the Department of Justice,” the reply stated.