Members of the Salaries Review Commission (SRC) and the Chief Personnel Office (CPO) are refusing to divulge any details of the four-hour meeting held yesterday to discuss President Anthony Carmona's $28,000 housing allowance. The two groups met in a secretive, emergency meeting yesterday from 2 pm to 6.30 pm at the CPO’s office, St Vincent Street, Port-of-Spain.
Though all parties have been sworn to secrecy, the T&T Guardian learned Carmona’s housing allowance and the route to that approval led to the talks. Insiders say the meeting was called to address specifically the unresolved issues and comes after Attorney General Anand Ramlogan signalled his intention to seek legal advice from Senior Counsel Russel Martineau in order to shed some light on the approval for the housing allowance.
One SRC member, Haseena Ali, entered the compound and the barricade gates were closed behind her.
She entered the building through a side entrance. Chairman of the SRC, Edward Collier, was dropped off by a driver at the front of the building and hustled inside.
All SRC members have remained tight-lipped about the details of the meeting but the T&T Guardian learned there was no agenda as members were only told of the meeting late Wednesday night. One of the attendees said he only knew it was to discuss the issues surrounding the approval of the President’s housing allowance.
Public Administration Minister Carolyn Seepersad-Bachan has since revealed that even when Carmona was still President-designate, a request came for several accommodations. Public Administration released three townhouses and three stand-alone houses for use by the President’s office, it was stated.
Meanwhile, the T&T Guardian also learned that Opposition leader Dr Keith Rowley is refusing to comment on the issue any further. It was Rowley who said the Government was already aware of the approved payments as the approval was ventilated at the committee stage in Parliament.
The T&T Guardian was informed by Balisier House that Rowley was using his silence to “protect” the public service. “Dr Rowley is trying to ensure the public service is protected from the full wrath and ire of the Government on this issue,” Balisier House said. Ramlogan has called on Rowley to give details on when the issue of the allowance was raised in Parliament.