Communications Minister Vasant Bharath says claims by Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley that the People’s Partnership Government was either sending people to kill him or paying people to lie on him are completely false.
Rowley made the claims during the People’s National Movement’s September 7 general election campaign launch at Market Square, Scarborough, on Sunday. Party officials had confirmed earlier media reports of a $15 million hit on Rowley during a press conference on the weekend.
That press conference was also called to deny allegations of sexual harassment by former Express investigative journalist Anika Gumbs, who claimed she resigned because she had been left “traumatised” and “mentally scared” by three encounters she had with Rowley while pursuing stories between January and April 20.
In response to both issues during Sunday’s launch, Rowley told supporters: “I said on a platform in Trinidad a few months ago, for the first time in my career of over 30 years I feared for my personal safety.
“Lo and behold, as I am speaking to you now, I am surrounded by people who you pay to protect me from people who will have me killed.
“First time in Trinidad and Tobago the Opposition Leader is under attack from the Government and when I am not under attack from their friends who they hire to kill me, I am under attack from their friends who they hire to lie about me.”
In a statement issued yesterday, Bharath said Rowley was being very irresponsible and his claim was designed to create panic among the population.
“Any situation where a politician or citizen faces a threat to his or her life is taken seriously by the Kamla Persad-Bissessar administration. Wherever such threats exist, the Government acts immediately, judiciously and with the care for life of people as our priority,” Bharath said.
He said Rowley’s decision to make such allegations on a public platform was “not only irresponsible and deliberately contrived to create panic, it is also a demonstration of using public platforms to incite the population rather than to articulate clear plans for the future.”
Bharath said the Government had established a reputation of responding quickly and carefully to any allegations of death threats.
He said the allegation must be reported to the police to receive a serious response and not shouted from a political platform in the hopes of attracting public sympathy.
Bharath said Rowley “already has Special Branch protection and if indeed there's a threat, the State national security apparatus will respond as he’s a high office holder.
Contacted by the media yesterday, acting Commissioner of Police Stephen Williams refused to comment on the claims by Rowley.