Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar last night said she does not smoke marijuana.
She made the comment in response to a final question by panellist Isha Wells during the leadership exchange hosted by state-owned Caribbean New Media Group (CNMG) at its Maraval Road, Port-of-Spain studios.
The issue was raised by former national security minister Jack Warner, after he claimed the substance had been found on the Phillipine, San Fernando property of the PM in 2013. The claim was subsequently corroborated by the police and the matter in still being investigated.
But as the debate was wrapping up last night Wells, in her final question asked the PM the direct question “PM do you smoke marijuana.”
“The answer is no, definitely no,” Persad-Bissessar responded.
Earlier, Persad-Bissessar said her lawyers were taking note of the allegations of corruption and otherwise being made against her by Warner and promised an avalanche of legal action following the general elections.
She said all were free to make statements as they wish now during the election campaign because they were seeking to make her Government look bad. But she said she would not be “distracted by those scandalous and totally false allegations being made by the gentleman (Jack Warner).”
“Right now, I was elected to run a country, I am still doing that and I have the mandate from the people to so do until September 7,” she said.
In response to another question on the issue of corruption, the PM said, “I would not say there is corruption in the Government but there is corruption in the systems of Government in T&T.”
Persad-Bissessar said her five-year-old PP Government had attempted to deal with this in several ways. She said one of the major changes was the passage of new procurement legislation, adding many of the allegations of corruption related to issues of procurement.
She said she was committed to either a partial of full proclamation of the new law as soon as possible.
Former Government minister and radio-talk show host Dr Morgan Job, political analyst Derek Ramsamooj were the other panellists on the programme.
Job asked the PM what plans she has to deal with the issue of corruption. She said it would be addressed through education and training.
“If you do not have that you will have corrupt officials then who seek to gain more than they need,” she said, adding legislative measures are also to be used to address the issue of corruption.
Last night’s debate was arranged after the T&T Debates’ Commission could not schedule one of its two national leadership debates in July, as was desired by the PM.
Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley declined a CNMG invitation to participate in last night’s event, saying he had given a commitment to the debates proposed by the TTDC.
Citizens were also allowed to submit their questions prior to the commencement of the two-hour event.