Padarath: Attempts to sanitize Smith will not be accepted

Princes Town MP Barry Padarath indicated that he has taken note of the Attorney General’s comment that the Wilson report is imminent. The Wilson report emanates from a committee that was set up by Prime Minister Keith Rowley to investigate the circumstances surrounding the claims of wrongful dismissal by a former personal secretary of then Minister Daryl Smith.

Padarath stated that once public funds was used as “hush money” there is an element of accepting liability by the Ministry against the allegations made. Further he added that the use of a non-disclosure agreement traditionally used in the private sector as opposed to the public sector provides a degree of suspicion and guilt.

The MP stated that any attempt to use the Wilson report to Sanitize Daryl Smith’s conduct in this matter will be met with tremendous resistance. The wrongful use of public funds in this matter reeks of abuse of office and the allegations made by the former secretary erodes public trust and confidence in Daryl Smith’s ability to function as a Minister. The MP stated that those were two irrefutable facts of the case.

The Princes Town MP said while there were conversations happening in hushed tones that the Wilson report was designed to see the return of Daryl Smith to the Cabinet, he was warning the Prime Minister and the government that this would have serious consequences.

Padarath also questioned the cloud of secrecy that also hangs over the head of the Prime Minister as it relates to the “additional information” that he received in taking the decision to fire Smith. He stated that the fact that the Prime Minister chose to keep this information out of the public glare also signals that this matter was not going to be dealt with transparently.

The Princes Town MP said while he awaits the report the facts of the situation has not changed. One, public funds was used to settle this matter, two, it was concealed through a non-disclosure agreement and three the conduct of the Former Minister was the subject of the matter. He added if the former Minister sought to be exonerated form this matter he should have sought legal redress in the first instance so as to protect and preserve his personal and public integrity. The MP further stated that seeing this was not done no report can sanitize Daryl Smith.