THE SCANDALOUS ALLEGATIONS OF DR. MOONILAL

Well, I really didn't think that I would see the day anytime soon when I would agree with Finance Minister Colm Imbert that the revelations by South Oropouche MP Roodal Moonilal about A&V Oil and the possible involvement of (inter alia) persons like Prime Minister Keith Rowley, OWTU President General Ancil Roget, MSJ Leader and former Trade Unionist David Abdullah and others was scandalous in the extreme. Now I don't exactly agree with the honourable Finance Minister that the statements were scandalous. They are only scandalous in the meaning that Mr. Imvert ascribed IF they are not true. But if there is a modicum of truth in anything that Dr. Moonilal said, then yes, what the statements contain depict a most scandalous state of affairs.


Now it remains to be seen what happens next! While it is a legal truism that he who alleges must prove, these charges are so serious  that clearly State agencies such as the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), the Integrity Commission (IC) and the Commissioner of Police should all swing into immediate action ... and "immediate" must mean immediate! Now! Right away! The first thing that needs to be done is that the various agencies should go and seize ALL documents that everybody has in his/her possession. After all, if anybody is in fact guilty of anything that Dr. Moonilal has alleged don't you think that he/she would be destroying those documents right now?


The various State agencies have an almost sacred duty to investigate this matter quickly and efficiently. Certainly, the FIU has (or ought to have) the resources to, for example, check out the bank account in which Dr. Rowley has allegedly received  a few million US dollars. Shouldn't we know whether this is a fact or not? And we can't take Dr. Rowley's word for it that this is "fake news". If he is innocent that is exactly what he would say. And if he is guilty then that is exactly what he would say! Either way, we are no nearer to the truth without an independent and impartial investigation.


And that is the whole point!  Democracy is a most fragile flower that can easily be destroyed if matters like this are not dealt with openly and comprehensively ... and quickly! We can look at it in two diametrically opposed ways and come to the same conclusion:


Let's say that the allegations are completely false (as the erstwhile Mr. Imbert would have us believe). Then wouldn't it be right and proper that all those whose names have been linked to this scandal would be completely cleared of any and all wrong doing? 


But what if any of the allegations are in fact true? Shouldn't the guilty person(s) be brought to justice? No matter whether he/she is a Prime Minister or a bottle washer?


Remember something: we are talking here of a scandal at the root of which, if true, involves literally billions of dollars and the sale of the nation's crown jewel (Petrotrin)! If any of this is true we are talking about the most bold faced conspiracy that this country has ever seen!


Like everybody else I'm waiting to see what happens next. I do know that if the various State agencies (the FIU, the IC, the DPP etc.) don't swing into action before the end of this week that very ugly and most unnecessary suspicions will arise as to why they are not acting  in addition to those serious allegations raised by Dr. Moonilal. Let's hope that the authorities act ... and act quickly!


And if they don't then perhaps we should consider the possibility of taking them to Court as Gina Miller successfully did in the United Kingdom when she took that country's Government to court over Brexit and the prorogation of Parliament!