FUELGATE PART 5: Rowley admits to meeting PDVSA executives
News reports state that Prime Minister Rowley has now finally admitted to holding an alleged illegitimate meeting with Venezuelan Vice President, Delcy Rodriguez, and a team of officials from Venezuelan-owned energy company PDVSA, on March 27, 2020, who are wanted in the US for money laundering and narco-terrorism.
His reprehensible actions constitute a grave, dangerous and treacherous betrayal of the citizens of this nation since they can cause serious damage to T&T’s economic stability. They can also irreparably affect our historic pristine global reputation as an exemplary democracy.
Rowley had previously falsely claimed that this meeting was to discuss Covid-19. Last week, however, it was reported that the United States is investigating the T&T Government for breaking its sanctions against Venezuela over the ‘Fuelgate fiasco’.
I then consistently badgered Rowley to say if this meeting was the genesis of this alleged illegitimate deal. After I presented documentary evidence yesterday to show that key PDVSA officials attended this meeting, he is now admitting that:
– He attended this meeting with National Security Minister Stuart Young and Foreign Affairs Minister Dennis Moses
– Incredulously, he was not introduced to anyone at any point from VP Rodriguez’s delegation before, during or after the meeting
– He later found out that PDVSA President Asdurbal Jose Chavez Jiminez and Venezuela new Energy Minister Manuel Antonio Jimminez Herrera were in attendance
– A PDVSA aircraft which is sanctioned by the US in fact transported the delegation
– This is, therefore, grounds for US sanctions against T&T
These claims, however, once again make no sense, since, as a former Prime Minister, I know for a fact that:
– There’s a very clear, pre-established record of the Agendas for all official bi-Governmental meetings
– All attendees at said meetings are properly vetted by relevant protocol officers from the Foreign Affairs Ministry
– Prime Ministers are always properly briefed on these meetings and are given the names, official designations, employee statuses and all other relevant background information of all attendees BEFORE the meetings take place
– Due diligence is always done for national security purposes for any meeting attended by the Prime Minister and National Security Minister
– No senior government official enters a meeting without being introduced to ALL other attendees in the same room
The Government is fully aware of the Sanctions placed on PDVSA, having had to abandon the Dragon Gas deal and choosing to “go it alone” to develop the Loran Manatee cross border field.
– The Government knows that PDVSA has been widely accused of participating in money laundering and narco-trafficking.
The Government is very aware that the US Treasury Department made it clear that any institution or individuals who conduct business with PDVSA face the possibility of US sanctions. I am now calling on Rowley to keep the confessions coming and further say:
– By allowing VP Rodriguez into T&T, why did he purposely violate the Inter American Treaty of reciprocal assistance which imposed travel restrictions on members of the Maduro regime in December 2019?
– Why did his National Security Minister recklessly allow a sanctioned aircraft to enter Trinidad and Tobago?
– What business is the Rowley government conducting with PDVSA that requires meeting with PDVSA ‘s President on T&T soil?
– Why were the computer records for this controversial flight allegedly deleted?
I also note that Rowley is sticking to his deceitful, malicious, delusional claims that I have ‘invited US sanctions.’ This, even as in the same breath, he admits that it is HE who has in fact done so. His bizarre, infamous ‘raging bull’ irrational temperament seems to be in overdrive these days as well. Frankly, however, this is not my concern, for I am a lawyer, not a psychiatrist.
Notably, however, Rowley has admitted to knowing that the US’ sanctions adhere to the legal principle of ‘ignorance of the law is no excuse’. His ongoing deliberate provocation of the US, therefore, can rightly be deemed as a reckless, selfish, and willful dangerous act of betrayal to the T&T citizens, as well as our Caricom allies with whom we share mutual economic pacts with the US.
I am therefore calling on him to immediately cease and desist from these damaging actions and publicly declare that he will fully cooperate with the US investigation. This, even as I say that PM Rowley’s deeply traitorous and possibly treasonous actions clearly demonstrate that:
‘You Sir, are nothing but a shameless Judas.”
Stay safe, and God bless.