Vidwatie Newton cost taxpayers just over $860,000 to accompany her sister and Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar on 11 trips across the globe, which included stops in England, Australia, India, Brazil and the United States. This cost comprised of airfare, accommodation, meals and incidentals.
To add context, ex-West Indies cricket legend Brian Lara, who is not known to be cheap company, and former Trinidad and Tobago cricket captain Daren Ganga cost a combined $157,522 to travel to India as ambassadors to the twin-island republic. Newton alone cost $233,645 for the same trip.
She must be a hearty eater.
Leader of Government Business Roodal Moonilal was hazy on what Newton, who the PM once described as her travel assistant, actually did in India—or anywhere—and said she helped the PM with her scheduling and other tasks that may or may not have included her professional duties as a nurse.
Newton is arguably the most intriguing nurse to a political leader since 21-year-old Ukrainian buxom blonde, Oksana Balinskaya, took care of late Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi—or, as she called him, “Papa”.
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