Leader of Government Business Colm Imbert yesterday raised a motion seeking to send Siparia MP Kamla Persad-Bissessar before the Privileges Committee, for alleging that Finance Minister Karen Nunez-Tesheira had inside information on the CLICO situation.
Persad-Bissessar, however, told the media that she is not afraid of the consequences, that she did her duty as an MP, and she was still not satisfied with the explanation given by Nunez-Tesheira.
Imbert raised the matter at yesterday's Parliament sitting, alleging that Persad-Bissessar breached the privileges of the House when she said on Monday that Nunez-Tesheira and Central Bank Governor Ewart Williams had inside information about the Clico Investment Bank (CIB) challenges and, as a result, withdrew their monies. Both Nunez-Tesheira and Williams have denied the accusation.
"The clear implication was that the Member of Parliament for Siparia was accusing the Minister of Finance of having committed the criminal offence of using insider information on the financial situation at CLICO for personal gain," said Imbert.
He said, in his view, this "is a clear breach of privilege since she produced no evidence to back up her allegations, despite the serious nature".
Imbert said Persad-Bissessar attempted to clothe her accusations in the framework of a question later in the proceedings, but "the damage had already been done".
"I submit, taken in its totality, a fair-minded observer, the man in the street as it were, would reasonably conclude that the Member for Parliament for Siparia had accused the Minister of Finance of having committed a criminal offence," said Imbert.
House Speaker Barendra Sinanan said he will consider the motion put forward and report to the House.
Speaking to the media following the adjournment of the House, Persad-Bissessar said she was not surprised by Imbert's move.
"Let me make it very clear, I made my statement in the House, I asked my questions in the House. It is in the hands of the Speaker, but I want to make it very clear, I am not afraid and I am not worried as to what will transpire. As far as I see it, I did my duty as a representative of the people to raise a matter that was of concern to the people," said Persad-Bissessar.
Referring to Nunez-Tesheira's explanation that she withdrew her money from CIB because her sister, who is a banker, had alerted her about financial difficulties there, and that she (Nunez-Tesheira) acted on information that was in the public domain just like any other citizen, Persad-Bissessar said:
"I am still not satisfied with that answer. That issue is not dead, it is not over."
