By Clint Chan Tack Sunday, October 5 2008

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OPPOSITION CHIEF Whip Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj...

OPPOSITION CHIEF Whip Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj yesterday called upon the Prime Minister Patrick Manning “to confess to the country” whether there is any truth to his (Manning’s) claims that Siparia MP Kamla Persad-Bissessar had “special access to the Integrity Commission”.

“The ball is in Mr Manning’s court,” Maharaj told Sunday Newsday.

Newsday exclusively reported yesterday that Integrity Commission chairman John Martin said in a signed letter dated October 3: “The Integrity Commission once again gives the assurance that no one has ever had unauthorised access to our files and that the information therein remain private and confidential.”

Martin’s letter was sent in response to a letter dated October 2 from Newsday political reporter Sean Douglas which specifically asked him to directly treat with the Prime Minister’s claim.

In making this claim in the House of Representatives last Tuesday, Manning also said he asked a security agency to investigate reports that Persad-Bissessar had unauthorised access to the Integrity Commission.

Maharaj said in light of the denials by the Integrity Commission, the Prime Minister “has a responsibility to disclose whether he has spoken the truth and to give the facts” to the country.

Recalling that Manning apologised to the Parliament last year when he confused issues pertaining to former PNM treasurer Andre Monteil and the Gladys Gafoor Commission of Inquiry into the public health sector, Maharaj said the Prime Minister must provide clear and compelling evidence to support his claims or apologise for making those claims.

He said failure to do so would suggest that Manning misled the Parliament and this could have “serious consequences”, one of which is the Prime Minister being referred to the House’s Privileges Committee.

Government is already before that committee for failing to answer over 100 questions on the Order Paper and claims from Opposition MPs that they were harassed by PNM supporters on their way to Parliament on September 12 when a no-confidence motion in Manning was to be debated. Maharaj also suggested that the unaccounted $10 million in the Cleaver Heights housing project which Manning questioned Rowley about could be “a typographical error”.

The former Attorney General said the Prime Minister must know that Cabinet notes are not prepared by government ministers and it is not possible for ministers to know everything contained in those documents.

He said this did not justify Manning asking for the Standing Orders to be amended so he could question Rowley in the Parliament.