The police service has indicated that the Prisongate—prison litigation—probe will take some time to complete, National Security Minister Carl Alfonso said yesterday.
He was replying in Parliament to questions from ILP leader Jack Warner.
Alfonso said the police had said they are still investigating the matter, had collected documents and interviewed a number of people. But the matter will take some time to conclude. ACP Denoon heads the probe, he added, but couldn’t give a date for conclusion.
On another question, PP House leader Roodal Moonilal said the Constitutional Amendment (runoff proposal) Bill is on the Parliament agenda and “is coming.”
He denied Warner’s claim that Government was “violating parliamentary convention” by “rushing through special majority bills in the government’s dying days.” Moonilal said there were “no dying days” and Government had to fulfill its mandate to introduce new policies via legislation including before term’s end.
Moonilal said it was unfortunate the Opposition PNM had walked out of the Parliament and he hoped Warner “would be available for a little while more to participate in debates and” if he’s here next week and not otherwise detained he’ll know the Constitutional Amendment Bill” is coming.
Moonilal said Parliament’s Joint Select Committee had produced a report on Campaign Finance reform, the furthest Parliament had reached on this matter . He said it still required consultations with the public and Government would have ro see if they could bring legislation on this but couldn’t say when
Moonilal said Government investigations confirmed that no CEPEP or URP worker had been forced or directed to attend last weekend ‘s PP rally. Finance Minister Larry Minister Howai said public servants’ revised salaries would be paid in this financial year. Salary increases are being computed and would take effect from June and retroactive payments from August.
Legal Affairs Minister Prakash Ramadhar said a backlog of autopsies had been cleared and there are now three pathologist doing autopsies, He said Dr (Valery) Alexandrov had been hired to assist. Steps are also being taken to recruit further, but would take some months.