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By Jerome Teelucksingh (T&T Bureau) |
Port of Spain, T&T, August 1-15: In June 2002 the Trinidad and Tobago Sunday Guardian published the shocking findings of a
France
based drug research agency which identified Trinidad & Tobago
as an in transit route for cocaine and heroin distributed to
United Sates, Japan, Australia, Japan and Caribbean countries.The report also charged that there was a rise in the number of "narco-tourists" on cruise ships and yachts that comprise the links in the vast cocaine trade. And it alleged that each ethnic group has some drug traffickers who network with others of their ethnicity abroad. It also contended that certain businessmen in Trinidad conduct money-laundering schemes and that mainly Afro-Trinidadians oversee the retail cocaine trade.
In the light of the report, rumors began circulating that the Panday's controversial $10 million London bank account was linked to money laundering. The account actually contains just over £550,000 (TT$5.5 million). And the holders are Basdeo Panday and his wife, Oma.
The string of deposits made into the account at National Westminster Bank in London, include a £20,000 wire transfer on July 2, 1998, by UNC MP for St Joseph and former works minister Carlos John. John, in June, had said that the payment was to "facilitate a change of residence" for his daughter, Candice.
Deposits originated from Trinidad & Tobago, Guyana, Canada and London, among other places.
The probe into the London account also turned up two other accounts at the same bank - accounts held in Mrs Panday's maiden name, Oma Ramkissoon, and in the name of Nicola Panday, one of Panday's two daughters living in a controversial Kensington apartment.
Panday has consistently dismissed claims of wrongdoing on his failure to declare the London account and has said publicly that he has nothing to hide. After his return from London last month he handed over the records of the account to the Integrity Commission which turned over the file to Director of Public Prosecutions, Geoffrey Henderson for his attention. The DPP said that the matter would be "expeditiously dealt with like all other matters."
Panday faces up to ten years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine if he is ever convicted under the Integrity in Public Life Act passed by his administration.
But Panday's problems do not end there. President Arthur NR Robinson on July 1 filed a suit against the UNC leader for comments allegedly made in an address to the Greater Tunapuna Chamber of Commerce last April.
The writ accuses
Panday of slander in several comments allegedly made about Robinson
which were carried in the local media. It seeks to restrain Panday
from repeating those comments and also to debar the media from
publishing them. And earlier this week Panday was ordered to
pay $250,000 to CCN as part payment on a judgement won against
Panday some years ago.In other developments police found five kilograms of cocaine and two non-explosive mortar shells at the home of former UNC minister Sadiq Baksh. The cocaine, worth an estimated Trinidadian $1.2 million (US$191,000), and the mortar shells were found in the 400-gallon water tank on July 17.
Police said Baksh's son, Derek Baksh, called in to report that he had found the drugs and mortar bombs and he believed they were planted there. Baksh and his wife were in New York at the time.
United National Congress MP, Ganga Singh called the incident a plot to have Baksh detained so that his parliamentary seat could be temporarily filled by a member of the ruling People's National Movement, thereby breaking a political stalemate in Trinidad's parliament.
Singh said "impeccable sources," which he did not disclose, had informed him that the drugs and weapons had been planted in Baksh's house.
Reacting to the incident Panday said the kidnap and murder of UNC Members of Parliament might follow. But Prime Minister Patrick Manning said the allegations were those of frustrated politicians.
Earlier, on July 12, UWI lecturer and economist Dennis Pantin had warned that Trinidad and Tobago could fall under the rule of a dictator if there was no constitutional reform.
"We are going to get a terrible dictator because this Constitution is ready-made for a dictator," he said at a media conference called by the Constitution Reform Forum (CRF), of which he is a member.
On the same day Prime Minister Patrick Manning said there was a need for some power-sharing in Trinidad and Tobago. At a civic reception held at the San Fernando City Council, Manning said, "A measure of power-sharing is needed in Trinidad and Tobago at this time."
A few days earlier Manning had disclosed that a new general election will be called no later than October 31 if Government is unable to elect a Speaker and secure passage of the 2003 national budget
Manning was responding to Team Unity leader Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj who had said that the Government was now illegal and that Manning must resign and call elections by September. Maharaj has threatened to petition President Arthur NR Robinson to revoke Manning's appointment if the Prime Minister doesn't announce a date for elections soon.
And on July 3 Basdeo Panday had said he feared that political violence similar to that which erupted in Guyana on July 2 could occur in T&T if Prime Minister Patrick Manning refused to call fresh elections.