• Announcements
  • Contact
  • Documents
  • Events
  • Gov’t Achievements
  • UNC Councillors
  • Video Gallery
  • Volunteer
  • Home
  • News
    • Commentary
    • Letters
    • Press Releases
    • Speeches
    • Testimonies
  • About UNC
    • Political Leader
    • UNC Founder
    • UNC Natex
    • Meet The Candidates
  • Gallery
    • Video Gallery
  • Link
  • Live Stream
  • Youth Arm
  • The Checklist.
HEADLINES
Couva South Constituents Reject WASA “1 in 9 days” Water Supply
Opposition Leader sends condolences to Turkey and Syria after deadly earthquake
With 1000 Murders under his watch Opposition renew calls for Hinds removal
Opposition Leader: Armour cannot investigate himself
Armour Compromised Beyond Redemption
Opposition Leader: Double whammy for Reggie
Opposition Leader condemns Armour’s attack on Judge
Opposition Leader: Armour’s defense shameful, time for PNM to disappear
TANCOO: Government facilitating corruption
Opposition Leader: Faris and Armour must go now

AG: Gordon has no sole power

Posted On 22 Jun 2013
By : Admin
Comment: 0

AG 3The Integrity in Public Life Act (IPLA) does not give any power to a single member of the Integrity Commission neither does it give any specific power to the chairman except when the commission is duly constituted.

So said Attorney General Anand Ramlogan yesterday when he spoke with reporters during a break on the debate on the Dog Control Bill 2013 in the Parliament on Integrity Commission chairman Ken Gordon’s statement issued on his meeting at his residence with Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley. 

Ramlogan said Gordon erred in his interpretation of the powers he assumed he had by quoting parts of Part II, Section 5 (2) (a) and ( c) of the IPLA. Perhaps it might have been more important for Gordon to seek legal advice on his powers, he said, “and perhaps it would have been clarified so that he would not have erred.” Gordon seemed to have lumped the powers given to the commission, Ramlogan said, “with the powers he thinks he has as chairman, but there is a very clear line of demarcation between the Integrity Commission, and (Gordon as) the member of the commission who happens to be the chairman.”

When the commission is duly constituted by the President, he said, the powers given to the commission under the IPLA is vested in the commission and not in any individual member.

“I do not think it was proper for a member of the commission,” he said, “to purport to exercise powers of the non-existent commission, because that is an unlawful usurpation and arrogation unto himself of powers that properly belong to the Integrity Commission.”

The meeting with Rowley, he said, must be viewed against the backdrop that there was no commission, and as a chairman or a member without powers until the commission is duly appointed, there was no point in meeting.

The most worrying thing about the incident, Ramlogan said, is that Gordon has not admitted or seem to recognise that he made an error of judgement or that he made any error at all.

This means, he said, that going forward, Gordon will continue to operate under the misapprehension of what the extent and nature of his powers are. “That is something that is troubling,” he said.

Asked if Gordon should have resigned, Ramlogan said, “that is a matter for his own judgement and his own integrity.”

Noting that Gordon has published the name of the lawyer, Deborah Peake, SC, who gave him advice, Ramlogan queried what was so special that he could not have done so in the first place, when it involves taxpayers’ money and public accountability. The questions, he said, are which commission requested the legal advice, for what purpose, and why was the request made at the particular point in time.

“(Gordon) did not provide any explanation as to why he felt it necessary to disclose the legal advice in a press release, since such legal advice is strict and confidential under the Integrity in Public Life Act,” Ramlogan said. “Why did he seek to publish that legal advice at a time when Dr Rowley’s email fiasco was backfiring and dying a natural death? The timing was highly suspicious and he has provided no explanation.”

If Gordon knew a commission was yet to be appointed, Ramlogan questioned why did he seek advice on behalf of a non-existent commission which could bind the hands of commissioners when they are appointed. Something he said was ethically wrong with that.

In addition, he said Gordon has used the services of lawyers to represent the commission who represent opposition politicians and that is an issue Government has taken issue with in the past.

Having been told that there was urgency for a meeting, Ramlogan said that Gordon should have at least asked Rowley on the phone to give him an idea of the urgency so that he could have been able to determine whether or not he could have met with him the following day.

Newsday

Post Views: 34

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Email
  • WhatsApp
About the Author
  • google-share
Previous Story

AG troubled by Gordon’s statement

Next Story

Blessings from Balisier House

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

*
*

FACEBOOK

FACEBOOK

YouTube Channel

Upcoming Events

There are no upcoming events.

View Calendar
Add
  • Add to Timely Calendar
  • Add to Google
  • Add to Outlook
  • Add to Apple Calendar
  • Add to other calendar
  • Export to XML

Follow me on Twitter

My Tweets

Commentary

UNC SENATORS DEFENDED THE PARTY WELL TODAY

Today, the Opposition UNC Senators defended themselves and the Party well from the frivolous, anti-democratic motion by Senator Anthony Viera.
Posted On 22 Feb 2022

COVID WORKERS FIGHTING A WAR WITHOUT THEIR PROPER WEAPONS

We congratulate Kamla Persad-Bissessar on her success in forcing the Government to conduct an inquiry into the handling of covid. We take this
Posted On 20 Feb 2022

ROWLEY, WHERE ART THOU? WHY ARE YOU HIDING IN ST. ANN’S WHILE THE CITIZENS OF TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO SUFFERED 12 HOURS OF EXTENDED OUTAGE?

For 12 hours, and more in some places, the entire island of Trinidad experienced a power outage, beginning after lunch and plunging the entire
Posted On 17 Feb 2022

UNC WORKING IN PRINCES TOWN AND COUVA/TABAQUITE/TALPARO

We don’t often hear about what our local government bodies are doing for residents. Henry Awong, Chairman of the Couva/Tabaquite/Talparo
Posted On 10 Feb 2022

WHATEVER HAPPENED TO KEITH ROWLEY’S INEZ GATE ISSUE?

Remember Inez Gate? What is the Integrity Commission doing about the fact that Keith Rowley as Prime Minister did not fill in the required
Posted On 03 Feb 2022

Letters

Seek a fresh mandate

I recently read in one of the daily newspapers that Minister of National Security Fitzgerald Hinds said that 70% of society wants to see him
Posted On 27 Dec 2022

Don’t Blame God for Rowley’s Dotishness

Prime Minister Keith Rowley at the PNM convention on December 4, 2022, announces a National Day of Prayer. He said the country must come together
Posted On 16 Dec 2022

Keith Rowley has betrayed the sanctity of Parliament

Dear Editor, The revelation by the Commissioner of Police that the emails which Keith Rowley, then Opposition Leader read in our nations
Posted On 19 Jul 2019

T&T owes Kamla a debt of gratitude

Kamla Persad-Bissessar did what many were not expecting… she and her MPs voted unanimously with the Government to ensure passage of the Civil
Posted On 09 Apr 2019

Unity and Coalition are different things

Opposition Leader Kamla Persad Bissessar has faced some stinging criticism relative to her declaration at the UNC’s National Assembly that the
Posted On 01 Feb 2019

Press Releases

Off

PADARATH: RIC closed door consultations is a travesty to the process

Princes Town MP, Barry Padarath says he is deeply concerned and troubled with the Regulated Industries Commission attempt to conceal the views of
Posted On 06 Feb 2023
Off

Couva North MP launches National Health Initiative “Celebrating Wellness: A Healthier T&T”

On Wednesday February 1st, 2023, the Constituency of Couva North celebrated another landmark achievement, when Couva North MP Ravi Ratiram
Posted On 02 Feb 2023
Off

Foreign countries choose ceremonial heads with track records, does Christine this bill?

While many Commonwealth countries have ceremonial Heads of State (HOS) who are visible symbols of national unity and who have life long track
Posted On 16 Jan 2023
Off

SENATOR NAKHID: Government not Transparent about Affairs of our Children

Having seen an editorial in the Trinidad Express concerning Minister Ayana Webster Roy’s inexplicable decision to allow the Margaret Kistow Home
Posted On 16 Jan 2023
Off

Balisier House Must be Kept Separately from President’s House

Prime Minister Rowley has again disappointed the nation, with his selection of Senator Christine Kangaloo as his personally recruited
Posted On 14 Jan 2023

Speeches

Tancoo: calls on Imbert to have a heart and indemnify the population

Today we come to you to shine some light on a very worrying development that has happened in the past few days. I am sure many of you saw or
Posted On 08 Sep 2021

Rowley’s Mad Power Grab in Tobago

My friends, we are seeing a government that is in freefall – in every single sector. Health, National Security, the business sector. And what
Posted On 16 Feb 2021

Presentation of UNC general election candidates 2020

T&T family! UNC family! It is my absolute pleasure to speak with you today, as we get ready for the sweeping victory that is to come on
Posted On 19 Jul 2020

Kamla: My vision is to build an intelligent nation

“ON THE BALLOT” UNC VIRTUAL MEETING (June 25, 2020) Introduction Good evening and thank you for joining us once again as we continue to set the
Posted On 26 Jun 2020

MNF – Kamla: There is hope

Introduction Good evening T&T! Good evening UNC family!  It is good to be back! 2020 we are ready to rumble! Are you ready? Even though it’s
Posted On 11 Mar 2020
Copyright © - 2022 United National Congress