Integrity Commission gives ‘emailgate’ verdict; but was justice served?


Not since Roman prefect Pontius Pilate made a grand show of washing his hands—during a dodgy and memorable case immortalised in the New Testament—has a legislative body shown so much enthusiasm for ridding itself of a matter and so little stomach for taking responsibility for its decision.

Rather than make a public pronouncement on the “emailgate” scandal that has hung over Parliament for the past two years, the Integrity Commission yesterday sent its verdict to Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s lawyer, Israel Khan SC, in a letter curiously marked “private and confidential.”

Naturally, the Prime Minister promptly ushered the correspondence into the public arena.

Photo: Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar. (Copyright AFP 2014/Frederic Dubray)
Photo: Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar.
(Copyright AFP 2014/Frederic Dubray)

The Integrity Commission used merely one line to present its verdict, which was that “there was no or insufficient grounds for continuing the investigation into the above matter and accordingly this investigation is hereby terminated.”

But the commission, chaired by Justice Zainool Hosein, used two paragraphs to explain why it did not need to justify its decision.

Pilate, at least, abdicated responsibility with a better soundbite.

“I am innocent of this (case),” said Pilate, as he symbolically washed his hands in a basin, “see you to it.”

When taken in the context of the Prime Minister’s stance against the last release she did not fancy—she initiated moves to remove the deputy DPP, just 24 hours earlier—is it any wonder that the Integrity Commission had its foot on the gas and was reluctant to look in the rearview mirror?

For the umpteenth time then, the Prime Minister was cleared. We do not know how or why that is so.

But who are we to question such a questionable ruling—at least in the absence of accompanying information—in an era when the Prime Minister has ordered the heads of deputy DPP Joan Honore-Paul, director of the Police Complaints Authority (PCA) David West and the NGC served a pre-action protocol letter to a Trinidad Express journalist for an investigative story that the State board admitted was based on factual information.

Photo: PCA director David West (left) is sworn in by President Anthony Carmona. (Courtesy thepresident.tt)
Photo: PCA director David West (left) is sworn in by President Anthony Carmona.
(Courtesy thepresident.tt)

Discretion, Hosein might say about his hasty exit, is the better part of valour.

Persad-Bissessar enjoyed her victory. Again.

“This is a major victory for the Office of the Prime Minister and the sovereignty of the Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago… Now we can move on to the real issue here. That is the Opposition Leader’s arrogant actions in misleading the Parliament and impugning members of the Government…

“If he will do this to the Office of the Prime Minister, what would he do to those less able to defend themselves? If elected, whom would he bully and harass?

“Now that the Integrity Commission has pronounced and concluded their investigations… the Opposition Leader’s leadership is again called into question and once again it shows that he is unfit to lead our country.”

The Prime Minister’s statements, if she believes them, again arguably shows her failure to grasp the mood of the people.

If having persons in authority answer to investigative bodies for their conduct is bullying, then where can Wired868 sign up for a pro-bullying campaign? And, mind you, we want it applied to politicians on both sides of the fence.

Photo: Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar (left) and Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley.
Photo: Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar (left) and Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley.

Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley would have been deemed reckless in the extreme if he took emails to court that were found to be fake within a day. As was the case with the evidence of rape that Persad-Bissessar’s own team carried to Parliament to sully Rowley and his deceased father.

Had Rowley edited or manipulated those emails in any way, he should have been charged with criminal misconduct.

But this is a case that took two State-funded investigative bodies over two years to make headway on; and a matter the Prime Minister could not even get a favourable decision on through the Parliament’s Privilege Committee, chaired by her Speaker of the House Wade Mark.

It is difficult to see how the Diego Martin West MP could be blamed for failing to solve such a complex affair on his own.

Emailgate has one of two possible outcomes: guilty or not guilty. And it is not Rowley who is on trial.

Thus far, Persad-Bissessar has tried to charge and convict Rowley in the court of public opinion and through trial by media and everywhere but a court of law and the Privileges Committee.

If the Prime Minister is so certain of the Opposition Leader’s wrongdoing over this affair, then, by her own admission, she has enough court clothes, and the People’s Partnership has never been shy about filing litigation.

Photo: Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar (left) and Leader of Government Business Roodal Moonilal. (Courtesy Baltimore Post)
Photo: Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar (left) and Leader of Government Business Roodal Moonilal.
(Courtesy Baltimore Post)

The IC made its ruling yesterday and fled the scene. Eventually, the Police Service will have its turn at the crease.

“Justice should not only be done,” said British Lord Chief Justice Hewart in 1924, “but should manifestly and undoubtedly be seen to be done.”

There is a case to be made that Trinidad and Tobago got a verdict from the Integrity Commission. But not justice.

Just as the Jews did with Pilate in that historic case.

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About Lasana Liburd

Lasana Liburd is the managing director and chief editor at Wired868.com and a journalist with over 20 years experience at several Trinidad and Tobago and international publications including Play the Game, World Soccer, UK Guardian and the Trinidad Express.

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148 comments

  1. Debbie Espinal, “Arab Spring is not a season, but a series of anti-government up-risings that occured in 2011 in the Middle East.

  2. Eko Watts ,that statement made by the PM is interesting.Is she baiting the public to start an ”Arab spring” movement.

  3. A fb poster who does fantastic research IMO, Leslie-Ann Boisselle.

  4. Eko Watts, you just made me holler with laughter about your report on the town meeting.

  5. She really looks stressed, I think UNC should consider making Fazal Karim political leader

  6. Arab Spring ?? In the Caribbean?? Wonder how much Goose went down. SMH!

  7. PM attempted to oust the IC request by making her own

  8. So the info requested by the IC was only from the 2nd to the 16th September while the PM’s went up to the “31st” September. This thing getting more and more confusing. Does the Integrity Commission know it’s ass from it’s elbow? Actually does anyone concerned with this mess do?

  9. Now, examine this.
    “I have been performing email archival and email extraction for almost 10 years now. There are not many people that work in this field. In fact, it is but a small part of my duties. The very first time that I had to perform one, it involved an FBI investigation into some local government politicians. Some of them are still in jail.

    The email system that I work with involves around 4,000 users. Google, Microsoft, and Yahoo deal with millions of users.

    Let me cite a little synopsis of some information that I have put together to show why the police might be taking sometime, and why Kamla and her band of thieves are lying” ( Ed Reid).

  10. Watched the PM on TV 6 town meeting in Siparia and I honestly believe she is going mad, she said the fact that there has not been a major uprising or Arab Spring in Trinidad and Tobago is testimony to the good work of her government.

  11. That is why I believe the IC had “no or insufficient evidence”. The Crime Minister told Google that the matter was sorted out. The IC had to subpoena poor Google to have the US Court say, go ahead, oui. Not to mention, we do not know if any request was made to Microsoft. The other thing is that the emails had to be handed over on an electronic device such as a cd or flashdrive, not the printed thing. Were those used to take the info off the tainted evidence that were taken to the police at the leisure of the parties named, and then sent to the investigative bodies?

  12. Lord the plot thickens. This better than watching “Empire”

  13. PM mother Dugra blessing on u. Every time Rowley try to drag u down. U will always rise about it god don’t like ugly,hateful,

  14. People you should all read RLM’s explanation above. There’s more to this story. My take is the US DOJ is now working directly with the TTPS and DPP’s office.

  15. Up to now no one has said the emails are fake and if the goodly doctor has in fact resigned from the IC as reported on TV6 news what could be her reason.

  16. Richard is not me who writing them resignations letters inno
    but hold on..ah going to message Ventour

  17. Dr Lalchan resigned yesterday morning.

  18. Mel Lissa, yuh stickin…hurry up an get something on Ventour!!! 🙂

  19. Mel Lissa, yuh stickin…hurry up an get something on Ventour!!! 🙂

  20. Khamal Ethan Georges
    16 mins · Twitter ·
    Chairman of the Integrity Commission Justice Zainool Hosein confirms Dr. Shelly Anne-Lalchan has resigned from the Integrity body @CNC3TV

  21. Was mentioned on cnc3 news Leslie-Ann

  22. That’s what I heard but can’t confirm.

  23. Lasana, been thinking that for months now!

  24. People can’t get a rest from this nonsense. Steups. Clearly this Govt must not get the benefit of the doubt. In nothing. Ever.
    This is ridiculous.

  25. lololl..you go girl.
    you need that yes

  26. Ok Mel. *sigh* I tired…..I gone to watch some House of Cards…a fictional one……not this real live one playing out here in T&T……

  27. It was said earlier that Ventour also resigned Patricia but the news only confirmed Lalchan

  28. Dr Lalchan …. Leslie-Ann…… I heard Ventour not confirmed. …

  29. Ventour Leslie-Ann? I saw on another group it was a Dr. Lalchan….that’s why I’m trying to confirm if its one or two….

  30. So far only Lalchan confirmed

  31. 2 resignations??!! All yuh doh firetruck mih up nah!!!

  32. That’s what I’m wondering too Savitri

  33. I’ve heard it’s 2 resignations so far

  34. I would hope what I’m thinking is not so nah! Was that letter sent out without the agreement of all Commissioners?

  35. The script keeps flipping on the PM

  36. The integrity commission just turned PNM i’m guessing. :-/
    This is getting beyond ridiculous now!

  37. Dr Lalchan, the woman, but one report is ‘at least one resignation.

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