Kamla: Where the missing $3b gone?
Trinidad and Tobago
Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar has called for an investigation into the Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago (CBTT).
She said there must be a probe as to why the CBTT refused to allow Auditor General Jaiwantie Ramdass access to examine the bank’s electronic cheque-clearing system, which was said to be the source of the understatement in some $2.6 billion in national revenue.
Speaking at a United National Congress (UNC) meeting at the party’s Chaguanas headquarters on Monday, Persad-Bissessar said the Auditor General’s special report still does not account for almost $3 billion.
She said Finance Minister Colm Imbert used the “fig leaf” of parliamentary privilege to lambaste the Auditor General because “she stood for the truth and did the right thing”.
She said the Auditor General re-audited the accounts, which she had done previously, and the special report still does not address the “missing” money.
“You know what is the big news? There is no change. The $3 billion is still missing. Where has this money gone?” she asked.
“Has the Central Bank been complicit in cooking the books with this Government? What else is the Central Bank and Government hiding? Our confidence in the Central Bank has been diminished. I call for an enquiry into the action of the Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago,” she added.
“When it is you cannot have confidence in your Central Bank, which holds all the money of the people of Trinidad and Tobago, then the country really gone through,” she said.
She further called for an investigation into the replacement of $100 cotton notes to polymer notes as she pointed out that Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley had said that some $500 million could not be accounted for.
“When you put us back into office, we will do the enquiries,” she said.
Persad-Bissessar said that under the Rowley Government, only the PNM (People’s National Movement) friends and financiers benefit while the people face the pressure of a higher cost of living from increased fuel to food prices.
She said that Monday was the last sitting in the parliamentary session and a new session starts this Friday, which places the country in an election year.
“You better be ready ’cause these fellas, they don’t know if they coming or they going. One day Rowley saying, ‘Don’t bother with Kamla, no election,’” she said.
Pointing out that Rowley said there are no elections soon while Energy Minister Stuart Young and Youth Development Minister Foster Cummings are telling the people to get ready for the polls, she said: “They totally confused. You know why? They don’t know if to call it or not to call it because anytime they call it, licks book! Is licks like fire and licks like peas, so they confused.”
She said Imbert has been “totally emasculated” by Young, and he (Young) has taken the PNM’s chairmanship position from Imbert, as well as the role of acting Prime Minister when Rowley is away.
She joked it would not be a surprise if Young delivered the budget.
“Faris (al-Rawi), Foster (Cummings) and Penny (Beckles) are hanging on by a thread waiting on the PNM internals in November,” she said.
Persad-Bissessar predicted that an “election budget” will be delivered as she warned people to not fall for the PNM’s false promises as the Government has delivered nothing in nine years.
“They are going to come with the same old tricks in this Columbus budget,” she said.
“When they come to this election to buy you out, they try to buy your vote with $300 in a red jersey…let them know $300 can’t make up for nine years of nothing,” she said.
She said over 4,500 people have been murdered as she questioned whether this pittance can make up for the blood spilled.
She recalled Imbert’s arrogance when he said the people did not riot when he increased fuel prices.
image: audit-g8faaf0f23