- 23 MAR 2023
Post-Cabinet Media Briefing- Thursday 23rd March, 2023
“There is no attack on the DPP in Trinidad and Tobago by the Government of Trinidad and Tobago, and there is no attack on the DPP by the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago.”
Prime Minister Dr the Hon Keith Rowley made the statement at a Post-Cabinet Media Briefing held at the Diplomatic Centre, St. Ann’s today (Thursday 23rd March, 2023).
Prime Minister Rowley also rejected claims made in a recent Trinidad Guardian Editorial which stated that the Director of Public Prosecutions had to defend allegations made against him by the Prime Minister.
Dr Rowley said, “I made no allegation against any person. I made a statement of fact about a Government tenancy in a private building that was rented by contract for three years for a particular purpose.
I also mentioned that somewhere between the Office of the DPP and the Special Branch there was some issue … but the end result of that is that the building had not been used for over three years.”
The Prime Minister highlighted that it cost taxpayers $45 million to outfit and lease the currently unoccupied building.
Dr Rowley noted that “it is not correct for the Guardian to say that some allegation made against somebody by the Prime Minister is what caused the DPP to be responding. The record will show that the DPP spoke on i95 on the 8th of March … I spoke on the 9th. So how could the DPP be responding to allegations made by the Prime Minister?”
Prime Minister Rowley maintained that the Government remains committed to pursuing white-collar crime in Trinidad and Tobago. He said, “we will continue and where there is a basis for investigation we will investigate. We will make it available to the police and let it go down that road.”
