Fixin’ T&T repeats call for Carmona to quit over alleged mother-in-law payment


Fixin’ T&T has repeated its call for President Anthony Carmona to resign if he cannot extricate himself from a TT$78,781.09 cheque written by the Office of the President for Savitri Singh—which is the same name carried by his mother-in-law.

The sum, according to the cheque, was payment for the “cost for official travel to accompany their Excellencies to Miami, USA and the Bahamas on their vacation” between 28 March and 11 April 2015.

The following is the full statement from Fixin’ T&T:

Photo: A copy of the controversial cheque from the Office of the President to Savitri Singh. (Courtesy Fixin T&T)
Photo: A copy of the controversial cheque from the Office of the President to Savitri Singh.
(Courtesy Fixin T&T)

Dear President Carmona,

We refer to our letter dated 23 September 2016—attached for ease of reference—in which we very directly asked if your Mother-in-Law was ever employed at President’s House and/or the Office of the President.

We note that this issue was not addressed in your 28 September 2016 ‘address’ to the media and by extension the nation.
A Kalifa Clyne article in the 9 October 2016 Sunday Guardian titled “Carmona’s spending spree” stated:

“Of the overseas travel expenditure incurred, Savitri Singh, who bears a similar name to President Carmona’s mother-in-law Savitri Seeteram Singh, received allowances of over $300,000 to accompany the Carmona family on several overseas trips, including $78,781.09 to accompany the family on vacation to the Bahamas.

“Singh also received payment of a ­salary of around $14,000 monthly from the Office of the President from May 2013 to January 2014. A payment of $13,542.54 for “domestic services” to Singh was issued in April 2013.
“The Sunday Guardian was unable to confirm whether Savitri Singh and Savitri Seeteram Singh were the same person.”

Photo: Trinidad and Tobago President Anthony Carmona is snapped before a meeting with China President Xi Jingping in Port of Spain on 2 June 2013.  (Copyright Frederic Dubray/AFP 2016/Wired868)
Photo: Trinidad and Tobago President Anthony Carmona is snapped before a meeting with China President Xi Jingping in Port of Spain on 2 June 2013.
(Copyright Frederic Dubray/AFP 2016/Wired868)

Is the Savitri Singh to whom the article refers and the cheque is payable your mother-in-law? If yes, in the interest of preserving the integrity of the Office of the President kindly submit your resignation with immediate effect.

Everything unethical may not necessarily be illegal. While there may be no law to rein in this type of untenable behavior in high office, as a legal luminary, you will appreciate the nepotistic nature of this situation.

If no however, please instruct your office to provide the country with details on the Savitri Singh to whom these payments were made. Do the right thing because it is the right thing to do.

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About Fixin TT

Fixin T&T's mission is the realization of good governance to achieve healthy, holistic, and fulfilling lifestyles for all citizens through the study, promotion, and furtherance of strong democratic institutions; sound infrastructure; integrity in public and corporate affairs; and a culture of respect by all for the laws and regulations of the country to create a safe, secure, efficient and productive Trinidad & Tobago.

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25 comments

  1. Why must the President resign? He has hinted that he has done wrong.What should happen is the powers that be should institute an inquiry and let chips fall where it may be or ask him to resign.

  2. How come fixing t/t did not come out and talk
    About the really issues, they crawl under a rock when imbert
    Make those statements and also hinds come on man
    Go back and hide under u rock waste of time

  3. Why do we continue to defend those in PUBLIC OFFICE who continue to PEE in OUR faces and call it RAIN?! Trinidad and Tobago, THERE’S NO RIGHT WAY IN DONG THE WRONG THING! ITS EITHER WRONG OR RIGHT!

    • No one is defending Carmona.
      We want that anyone in corrupt and those acting without integrity to be brought to account.
      Do not target Carmona alone.

    • No one is defending Carmona?! OF ALL PERSONS, I, am quite certain President Carmona does NOT need DEFENDING! He ( President Carmona) is quite COMPETENT enough to do so ALL by Himself! Do not target Carmona alone?! I have absolutely NO idea what the HELL you are suggesting! I NEVER TARGETED ANYONE LIONEL SEERAM! I NEVER SUGGESTED ANY ONE’S NAME! I WAS SPECIFIC! I SAID THOSE IN PUBLIC OFFICE! I SPOKE RAMDOMLY ABOUT THINGS IN GENERAL LIONEL SEERAM! APPARENTLY, YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT I WROTE/POST. PLEASE DO NOT PRETEND TO!Before I bid YOU Adieu, I’ve know President Carmona O.R.T.T, S.C., FOR YEARS AND HE’S A MAN OF INTEGRITY, SOUND PRINCIPLES AND IMPECCABLE CHARACTER! ADIEU!!

  4. Someone should advise the President to follow the great&profound teachings of his namesake “Thomas Aquinas”.A formidable theologian of his day,our President would never have been embroiled in so much controversy if he gave a careful study of “The Summa Theologica of ST.Thomas Aquinas” *+

  5. Fixin’ TT why are you not calling for the resignation of Imbert and Khan whose wives received contracts from PNM Govt.

  6. Why u dont do the same for imbert and al rawi

  7. Minister wife tiefing millions …but alyuh cyar talk about that …rowliar goh deal with alyuh ass …alyuh fraid rowliar !

  8. I dont think the President hires staff nor does he signs any cheque to be paid out of the Office of the President. He is not the Accounting Officer for the Office. . Fixing T&T , learn the Constitution, do research and become informed.. From my experience I would say most of our citizens do not get informed just take what the politicians and media post much of it erroneous. Leave the President alone , fix the homeless, poverty, crime, traffic congestion, high food prices etc.

  9. All of them got skeleton in their cupboard is just a matter of time all will fall out. BOOM!!

  10. At the risk of sounding like ah broken record, “Consequences are only for poor people”.

  11. If the president needs to quit then the entire government should follow suit cause he still looks good as compared to the others in government

  12. Distractions again why not deal with more pressing issues than this fluff have millions wasted before deal with that

  13. These people are real thieves, boy… and they are boldface boldface, boldface.

    • The man is a former judge eh and u know how he like pre-action protocol letters. They just asking for answers, after all, in this land, two ppl could have the same name. And being devil’s advocate, if ministers wives could wear two hats-contractor/businesswoman and minister’s wife, why the Pres mother in law can’t wear two hats?

    • obamas mother in law held a similar position, find out how was that done

    • Haida Mohammed You should find out yourself since you made the accusation about Obama’s mother-in-law. One thing about Obama and his wife… They are not damn thieves like the average politician in T&T, regardless of the party to which they are affiliated. PNM, UNC/PP, NAR etc all of them are damn thieves. And you the public always blindly siding with those for whom you voted! You turn a blind eye to blatant corruption when it involves your preferred party but screaming bloody murder when corruption involves the other party. And it’s further compounded by the racial divisiveness. You all are so politically and racially polarized in such a sweet country you can’t make heads or tails of anything (crabs in a barrel). Bunch ah hypocrites. You need to check yourself.

    • How does President and Mrs. Obama come into this ?? This is T&T, NOT THE USA… THE TWO DON’T COMPARE… To follow blindly simply means that you can’t think on your own and you can be brainwashed by anybody. Country comes before Party or SELF AND FRIENDS…Nuff said…just my opinion eh, subject to criticisms, but I stand by my comment…

  14. The French have a lovely expression “faire couleur de muraille.” I guess it can be accurately translated as “to merge in with the background” because it sort of describes what a chameleon does, the kind of change of colour it undergoes because that is in its nature.

    I hope that Fixin TT does not really expect the president of a country that is totally corrupt to resign over an accusation of corruption. If President Carmona is corrupt, – I am taking no sides in the matter yet although the weight of evidence does tend to tip the scales in one direction so far – it is arguably because he would not be a properly Trini president if he were not.

    In a country where people have eyes but insight in lacking, it’s easy to see why a morally blind man might become king.

    Or president!

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