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Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley yesterday fired back at suspended People’s National Movement (PNM) member Harry Ragoonanan describing him as the worst this country has to offer.
Rowley’s comments came one day after Ragoonanan, who has been called upon by the party’s disciplinary committee to answer charges tomorrow involving alleged corrupt practices and behaviour with respect to procurement of buses at Public Transport Service Corporation (PTSC), stated that the PNM was on a witch hunt to bring down his good name.
On Monday, acting Attorney General Fitzgerald Hinds, at a press conference, said the PNM had received information and a complaint from a citizen “about the most untoward conversation that was electronically recorded between Ragoonanan and a PTSC bus supplier.”
Hinds said they found the contents of the July 1, 2016, recorded conversation to be “sufficiently troubling” and if the matter “yields information that should gain the attention of other agencies in T&T, it most certainly will.”
Speaking at a Housing Development Corporation key distribution ceremony in Arima yesterday, Rowley said people like Ragoonanan, UNC activist Devant Maharaj and attorney Nyree Alfonso—who on Sunday held a joint press conference to discuss the procurement of two new Coast Guard vessel from Austal—were “boldfaced” and like birds of a feather who flock together.
“We in the PNM take great umbrage at Harry Ragoonanan getting himself into that situation, representing the worst of what this country has to offer and then will go and sit down with Devant Maharaj, who has made a name for himself already, and Nyree Alfonso, who has found herself in the embarrassing position of being cross-examined before a committee (JSC) of Parliament.”
The PM said Ragoonanan had not been brought before the party’s disciplinary committee on Port Authority of T&T matters.
He said this Government was bent on bringing the change required “and those persons like Harry Ragoonanan must not be allowed to mislead the public.”
He said the PNM is a well-run organisation managed by a Constitution and if a member disgraces the party they will face an investigation committee, as this applies to him as well.
Rowley said Ragoonanan was investigated and his matter was found to have substance.
In response, Ragoonanan, in a telephone interview, said he was not surprised by Rowley’s attack.
“I expected this from the Prime Minister. I would not go down in the gutter with him. I remain a PNM.”
Ragoonanan said he has been verbally invited to appear before the committee and if he does not get a written invitation before Thursday he would not attend.
He claimed that the PNM was trying to bring his name into disrepute because of what he has been revealing about the seabridge fiasco.