Director of Public Prosecutions Roger Gaspard has advised Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley that the Sir Colman report on the commission of enquiry into Clico and the Hindu Credit Union should not be made public, since the DPP’s department has been doing a probe of the situation.
The announcement was made by Minister Stuart Young (Prime Minister’s Office) at yesterday’s post-Cabinet media conference when questions were raised about the report.
It was submitted to President Anthony Carmona last month and in turn sent to Rowley, who, following Cabinet deliberations, sent it to the DPP for advice on whether it could be revealed to the public.
Yesterday, Young said the DPP responded to the PM this week, noting that a probe was being done on the matter by his office since 2012. As a result of this, the DPP said the report should not be made public, lest it prejudice the probe.
Also asked about the recommendations of the Simmons report on the commission of enquiry into the July 1990 failed coup attempt by the Jamaat Al Muslimeen leader Yasin Abu Bakr, Young said the enquiry was done during the People’s Partnership’s tenure and he “assumed” the report and its recommendations would have been sent to the National Security Ministry.
On concerns by National Alliance for Reconstruction member, Wendell Eversley, that no major observance of the July 27 1990 anniversary was done, Young said the date was always remembered as a “dark day in T&T history” and law enforcement was aware that July 27 must not be repeated.
But he said actual observances of the date were usually done at the Red House—where the Muslimeen took hostages in 1990—and the Red House was under renovation.
Young said the prime ministerial team supervising the renovation met recently and tenders for various aspects of the job would be issued soon, since he said Government had given a tight deadline for completion of the job.
He also said the Prime Minister would be undergoing a planned medical check-up while he was overseas for vacation.
“At this stage, there’s no cause for concern,” Young assured.
Rowley said recently he would be taking a vacation next month, having a medical check-up and “taking a few days off” over two weeks.
Young said it was a well deserved vacation since the People’s National Movement had moved straight from campaigning last year into Government and a lot of work was done.
Young confirmed the Ministry of the Attorney General and the Ministry of Legal affairs would start moving into the Government Campus’ Tower over coming weeks.