Trinidad Prime Minister Dismisses Call To Resign Over “Emailgate” Scandal

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad and Tobago, July 19, 2019 (CMC) – Prime Minister, Dr. Keith Rowley, yesterday, brushed aside a call, from the main opposition United National Congress (UNC), for him to resign over the “emailgate” fiasco.

During a press conference, Rowley also said that there is no need for him to apologize to Opposition Leader, Kamla Persad Bissessar. 

The Prime Minister was responding to an announcement, on Wednesday, by the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) that it had officially closed the investigation.

Rowley also stated that he will not go down the Opposition’s “rabbit hole”, and accused the UNC of “twisting” the “facts” as is outlined in the file, handed to the TTPS by the Director or Public Prosecutions (DPP).

The Prime Minister stated that the DPP’s file clearly states that the evidence gathered, did not reach the threshold to lay charges against persons involved.

On Wednesday, the UNC said Rowley lacked “the competence, compassion, intelligence and character to lead Trinidad and Tobago”.

The emailgate scandal arose when then-Opposition Leader, Dr Keith Rowley, presented a printed email thread, which he claimed was the correspondence of a criminal conspiracy implicating then-Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar and members of her government.

In a statement, on Wednesday, the UNC said it was vindicated that the investigation was proven to be a hoax and conspiracy, “piloted by Keith Rowley and the PNM”.