Kamla: FIU Director Must Resign
The Leader of the Opposition and all right minded citizens of Trinidad and Tobago are anxiously awaiting for the resignation of Nigel Stoddard as Director of the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) after his arbitrary and unjustified action was exposed by a High Court judge.
Mr. Stoddard must step down following the blatant abuse of power by the FIU with respect to the private banking information of Gary Griffith and Nicole Dyer-Griffith.
The FIU Director has lost all legitimacy and the moral authority to oversee the financial integrity of anyone and must be replaced as head of this sensitive and important national institution.
If Mr. Stoddard refuses to vacate his office, the Public Services Commission must have him removed under applicable provisions of the relevant legislation.
It is my respectful view that the legal overreach and misuse of his authority make Mr. Stoddard subject to accusations of malfeasance in public office and as such, diminishes the integrity of the office once he continues to hold the office.
This is highly regrettable not only because of the critical functions of the FIU but also since the Director was hyped as being suitably qualified for the post, upon his appointment in 2019.
The misdeed and injustice perpetrated by the FIU with respect to Mr. and Mrs. Griffith indicates that yet another crucial national institution is being manipulated and weaponized by the authoritarian Rowley regime for political gain against citizens of our great republic.
The FIU now follows a number of significant impartial and neutral organisations that have become tools of the dictatorial and repressive Rowley Government and its PNM cohorts.
The manipulation of key institutions is further disturbing evidence of our country becoming a police state and of law-abiding citizens being targeted by the political directorate.
I again urge the national community to be vigilant and strident on Keith Rowley’s abuse of power and subversion of democracy.
For the honour of the office to stand, Mr. Stoddard must do the honourable thing and resign without reservation immediately.
The nation is waiting.