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T&T President Names New Integrity Commission

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – President Anthony Carmona named members to the Integrity Commission on Monday, even as calls continued for the resignation of its chairman, Ken Gordon, over his decision to meet with Opposition Leader Dr. Keith Rowley before the latter presented a motion of no confidence in the Kamla Persad Bissessar administration.

President Carmona in his first major appointment since he was sworn into office in March, named the four other members to the Commission, including retired Justice Sebastien Ventour, who has had a distinguished 34-year legal career.

He has also served at the Law Association of Trinidad and Tobago, both as Secretary and as a Member of the Disciplinary Committee. Justice Ventour currently lectures at the Hugh Wooding Law School, where he has taught for 22 years.

The other members are chartered accountant Seunarine Jokhoo, petroleum and environmental engineer Deonarine Jaggernauth and ophthalmologist and surgeon Dr. Shelly-Anne Lalchan.

Gordon, who is expected to continue serving as chairman, came under pressure to resign after he met with Rowley on May 15, a few days before the vote of no confidence in the government.

Over the weekend, Gordon, 83, issued a lengthy statement defending his decision to meet with the opposition legislator and brushed aside suggestions within government that the meeting was a “secret” one and tantamount to treason.

On Monday, the Law Association said it was “wrong and highly improper for the Chairman of the Integrity Commission to meet privately with a Complainant.

“We remind the Integrity Commission, and in particular, the Chairman, that they are bound by the Sections 24 (1) (a) and (b) of the Integrity in Public Life Act which provide that a person holding public office, including the Chairman, shall be fair and impartial in exercising his public duty and afford no undue preferential treatment to any group or individual.

“The Council states further that the Integrity Commission has an integral part to play in serving the public interest. In order to do so it is vital that the Commission conducts itself with the highest degree of propriety.”

Last month, Rowley presented 31 emails to parliament purporting to show that members of the government, including Prime Minister Persad Bissessar, were engaged in efforts to undermine the judiciary, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) and the media.

The government has denied the allegation and last week, Senior Counsel, Israel Khan, the attorney for Prime Minister Persad Bissessar made available to reporters a United States-based forensic expert, John Berryhill, who said that the documents were a fake.

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