Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi says he isn’t the subject of any police probe—concerning pictures of youngsters holding high-powered weapons—and he’s not resigning.
The AG made that clear yesterday, following renewed Opposition calls for his resignation after it was confirmed police are now probing the issue of the pictures of youngsters, alleged to be Al-Rawi’s children, holding the weapons.
United National Congress MP Roodal Moonilal, who revealed the pictures in Parliament on Tuesday, had written the acting Police Commissioner, Defence Force head and Director of Public Prosecutions calling for the probe.
In his defence, Al-Rawi had said his family was invited by the Defence Force for a “threat assessment” after he received death threats last year.The Defence Force also confirmed it had invited Al-Rawi and his family to Camp Cumuto for training. But Moonilal has countered that it is illegal for weapons to be in minors’ possession and “someone” had to be accountable.
However, legal sources yesterday pointed the T&T Guardian to Section 5 of the Firearm Act on people deemed to be in possession of such weapons “in the absence of any lawful excuse.” They said the latter clause was the end of the matter concerning the pictures. They said the act’s sections would explain why pictures of children holding guns have appeared on the pages of local newspapers.
Yesterday, after the police confirmed a probe was being done on the pictures, Moonilal called on Al-Rawi to resign, or for the Prime Minister to remove him in the same way the PM removed the People’s National Movement’s Marlene McDonald as a minister in March when she became the subject of police and Integrity Commission probes on several issues.
Moonilal added, “I’m satisfied the Commissioner has acted on my request. In the circumstances, the Prime Minister has little choice but to remove the AG pending outcome of the probe, as he set this precedent with McDonald. There’s no fundamental difference between both ministers.
“The AG has to resign since he’s titular head of the Bar and a law enforcement minister who deals with the police, army and similar agencies. Conflict of interest will arise between his position and the Defence Force and police probes. There’s an issue before Cabinet for extension of the tenure of DF head Rodney Smart. With the DF probe into the pictures ongoing, the AG cannot sit in Cabinet on this.”
However, Al-Rawi, in London for meetings with the British DPP and Public Defender on T&T issues, countered, “I’m not the subject of any police probe/inquiry. Nor could I possibly be the subject of any such, as I have nothing to answer. I’ve nothing to worry about, as this is a purposeful attempt by Moonilal, who’s twisting facts, allegations and lies into one matrix.”
Noting he hasn’t confirmed the youngsters in the pictures are his children, Al-Rawi said what the army did in relation to the children “...is something for the army—I have no position on that.”
He said while the army was with his children at Camp Cumuto, he and PNM MP Stuart Young were in another area.
“I haven’t given any position on this mainly because it will address security issues regarding my family, which I will not put into the public domain, baited—and exposed to risk—by someone I consider to be a poor piece of humanity,” Al-Rawi said.
“People have sent me umpteen images of T&T kids in custody of police and army holding weapons. Dr Moonilal can’t produce anything to prove his claim the images came from Facebook. I cannot believe his claim a relative of mine posted it.”
On conflict of interest with the Defence Force and police probes, Al-Rawi said, “How do any matters (for Cabinet) relate to anything that concerns the pictures and the Defence Force. It shows his ignorance of the law and common sense. He doesn’t sit in Cabinet. How could he know what is on the agenda?”
Al-Rawi, who is also attending a Paris meeting of the Financial Action Task Force, returns next week.
In a release on Thursday, the Defence Force confirmed they had hosted Al-Rawi and his family at Camp Cumuto after death threats were issued to the AG. It also confirmed a probe into how the photos of the children were leaked.
In explaining what transpired then, Senior Public Affairs Officer of the Defence Force, Major Al Alexander, said none of Al-Rawi family took part in the exercise. Rather, he said they were there to observe what is done in emergency situations.
Alexander admitted, however, that the children displayed “a certain level of curiosity” and were allowed to interact with the weapons.
“In our perspective, these are weapons that in emergencies would have to be used. We don’t want children being shell shocked and freezing when they need to move. It was really to remove the fear and apprehension. We allowed them to hold it (gun).”
He said strict supervision was adhered to and the “magazines were emptied.”