Oropouche East MP Dr. Roodal Moonilal made a scandalous allegation against Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley and the owner of A&V Oil and Gas Hanif Baksh in Parliament last evening. However, moments after making the statement, Moonilal was forced to withdrew it.
Contributing to debate on the Miscellaneous Provisions (Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters, Proceeds of Crime, FIU of T&T, Customs and Exchange Control) Bill, 2017, Moonilal had alleged corruption on the part of the Prime Minister.
Earlier in his contribution, he told the House of Representatives that he recently visited Florida to “conduct research” and would later reveal his findings.
“I pray what I am reading here is not right,” he asserted as he prepared to reveal his findings.
Moonilal read from an email after he said Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi “invited” him to read the contents of the documents in his possession.
But soon after reading the contents of the email, which triggered shocked expressions by Opposition members, Al-Rawi interrupted on a standing order.
“What is falling from the Honourable Member is nothing short of a direct indictment,” Al-Rawi said, adding, Moonilal must “take direct ownership of his statements.”
House Speaker Brigid Annisette George then ruled that a member must take ownership for anything that is said in the Chamber, and asked Moonilal to retract the statement that he was invited to read from the documents. Moonilal told the Chamber he presented the information after what he believed to be an invitation by the AG.
“I have heard, and my colleagues have heard, that the AG asked me to read the cheque and read the information. I cannot unhear it,” he said.
That’s when he retreated and told the House, “If he did not invite me, I didn’t read it. So we can just withdraw everything.”
During a heated exchange between the two thereafter, Annisette-George interrupted and informed the AG that Moonilal had withdrawn his statement.