By Sue-Ann Wayow
July 22, 2015 – trinidadexpress.com
FORMER Minister of Justice Herbert Volney who was fired in September 2012 by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar for his role in the Section 34 fiasco, was hired several months ago by the Ministry of Health as a legal consultant.
Volney was working for a monthly salary of between $25,000 and $30,000.
The Sunshine newspaper first reported on Volney’s new position, and gave his monthly remuneration as $30,000.
Volney and Health Minister Dr Fuad Khan confirmed the report yesterday.
Khan said that Volney was receiving a monthly salary of $25,000 to $30,000, which was the normal fee for a consultant.
Contacted on social media, Volney told the Express: “I have completed a short term consultancy with the Ministry of Health.”
When asked when his contracted term would have been completed, Volney replied: “Officials at the Health Ministry can confirm this information.”
He said he was asked by the ministry to assist in legal matters.
Asked whether the job had anything to do with his recent open suppoort for the UNC, Volney said: “I can’t say that. The Ministry of Health needed a consultant for its legislative agenda and I was recruited on a short term contractual basis that has now ended. I saw it as an opportunity to step out of retirement as a prelude to possible service in the next term of this government. “I was brought in on a short term consultancy to assist the Ministry with proposed legislation”.
In a text response for comment on the Volney hiring, Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley wrote: “Consultant in the Ministry of Health? Naked high class eat ah food”.
Full Article : trinidadexpress.com
Nine mosques get cheques
By Richardson Dhalai
Wednesday, July 22 2015
Nine mosques in the Moruga / Tableland area yesterday received close to a quarter million dollars yesterday from the United National Congress (UNC) candidate for the district, Clifton De Coteau who is also the Minister of Gender, Youth and Child Development. The money was distributed in cheques valued at $25,000 each to the nine imams in charge of the mosques to assist with Eid celebrations. Eid was celebrated last Saturday.
Speaking to reporters afterwards at the Moruga/ Tableland constituency office located at the corner of Kanhai Trace north and Rochard Douglas road, Barrackpore yesterday, Minister de Coteau described the cheque distribution as a show of appreciation for the Muslim community.
Full Article : newsday.co.tt
Good for him now if they could get a job for Panday maybe he to will shut up. Lol.
I am sure they offered Panday something to shut him up.
He just has more integrity than Volney so obviously he won’t accept it.
Given his role as the Section 34 “fall-guy”, I expect that it is more than “eat ah food”. Information has value, and silence, likewise.
May God protect the innocent, and continue to expose the wicked.
Shalom.
First Bill in five years PNM voted for..
PNM & Section 34 amendment It was Umbert who recommended to change the # of years for Section 34 which Rowley and all PNMites voted for in Parliament. Deadbeats wrong/round table
Section 34 amendment It was Umbert who recommended to change the # of years for Section 34 which Rowley and all PNMites voted for in Parliament. Deadbeats wrong/round table.
Section 34 because it was in their interests to cover their ARSES!They were the ones who would have benefited the most..remember that it was Umbert who recommended an amendment to change the # of years!!
PNMites voted overwhelmingly for Section 34 because it was in their interests to cover their ARSES!They were the ones who would have benefited the most..remember that it was Umbert who recommended an amendment to change the # of years!!
It is interesting how different minds interpret matters of national importance. Section 34 as a serious national matter was supposed to be a matter of policy. The intent of the policy was to review the backlog of cases pending trial that has lapsed for then years or more. The intent of that policy was and continues to be progressive and without the circumvention of the Ish and Steve would have been historic in alleviating the backlog of menial cases before the judiciary. Let me remind you Intricate, when policy is debated it should always be for the national good. Not UNC good or PNM good. The nation should benefit by legislation intended to be enacted as policy – NOT SCHEME. So, with this in mind, your statement “PNM & Section 34 amendment It was Umbert who recommended to change the # of years for Section 34 which Rowley and all PNMites voted for in Parliament.” actually shows that the PNM was thinking of there national good, not PNM good or UNC good. What was wrong with Section 34 was not the parliamentary debate on the matter. What was wrong was the intended use by Anand Ramlogan to free Ish and Steve from prosecution. The flaws in introducing the bill should not have been carte blanche
release of ALL cases but only menial cases before the judiciary. So your charge that Rowley, Imbert and the PNM voted to free Ish and Steve is inherently false. The intention of Parliament was to form POLICY NOT PERSECUTE INDIVIDUALS. It became a cause celebre because the intended purpose in the minds of the UNC and PP parliamentarians was TO FREE ISH AND STEVE and not necessarily to enact as national policy. I submit to you that this is where a distinction should be expressed in terms of PURPOSE. You and I can sit and negotiate on the same matter with intended different outcomes even though we may agree in principle. I submit to you that this is what the PNM had in mind – POLICY not the freeing of Ish and Steve. On the other hand Anand Ramlogan had it from its inception to use the legislation to free those two accused.
So, when Section 34 is discussed from the political perspective, it is not policy that we are discussing, but the rather surreptitious manner in which the UNC government presented it to be used as POLICY. Your statement “PNMites voted overwhelmingly for Section 34 because it was in their interests to cover their ARSES!They were the ones who would have benefited the most..remember that it was Umbert who recommended an amendment to change the # of years!!” is self serving and vile because Parliament was NEVER intended to be used for partisan enactment of laws. The law is the law. The law is NOT and NEVER have been PNM, UNC or other.
Therefore when laws have the blessings of Parliament it should have no partisan connotations as you want to introduce in your commentary. The is the reason for the the “debate” of bills before the legislature. When everyone have their say and it is passed by simple majority or overwhelmingly, it becomes LAW. Not PNM law or UNC law as you are trying to insinuate. It is silly political comickry that we gert into these silly arguments to win stupid political points in pointing towards the stupidity of our political affiliations rather then sound implementation of POLICY.
With this in mind it is rather strange
My comment may seem “off-topic”…Nonetheless,it’s democracy on parade.Although,my absence from T&T approaches (25)years;on occasion my mention of T&T as my “homeland” continues.A general election approaches,and with your permission,why “advance polls” are absent from your “scheme of things?”
This (advance polls) relieves “stress” from some of the electorate…e.g.someone on election day has arrived at the “wrong polling station”…another is registered at another venue….forgot vital identification to cast a ballot…God perish this thought….involved in a vehicular accident…etc,etc!
As you approach 1st world prominence eventually “online ballot” becomes part of your electoral process.Scrutineers(which you have included)are of paramount importance;include these also at your “advance polls” to insure fairness within the democratic festivities!!
There is no doubt that this idea is good as a matter of policy, but in a place like Trinidad, it is easier for to find a needle in a haystack, than to see polling forms posted online to be accepted and distributed to voters.
We are too suspicious of each other for that to happen.
‘Voting’ happens to be one of those sacred acts that DEMANDS
careful scrutiny and examination for obvious reasons.
The PNM propagates this lie that the government didn’t extradite ish and Steve but it was the court that quashed the order signed by AG Ramlogan.Volney was the master mind behind Sect 34.He was & is a man of vision for T&T!
In fact it was the court of appeal