The Opposition has described as “shameless” the President’s awarding of senior counsel status to her husband and brother.
Speaking at a UNC meeting in Fyzabad last night, UNC Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar and deputy leader Roodal Moonilal both slammed the appointments.
Persad-Bissessar said: “We warned that this President would be a puppet, but we didn’t know she was going to be a puppet for her own family! We thought she’d be the PNM puppet —which of course she is also— now she’s the puppet of her family!”
Persad-Bissessar, who read a list of legal fees from a report in last Sunday’s Guardian, noted the report included that Kerwyn Garcia (the President’s husband) had collected $14 million and Fitzwilliam, Stone, Furness-Smith & Morgan (where the President’s brother Colin was a partner since 2000) had collected $23 million.
“… They’re just totally shameless! Will the President’s husband and brother continue getting millions in dollars in state briefs?” she asked.
Moonilal, who said he was casting no aspersions on the SC awardees, expressed concern about the perception of nepotism arising from the ‘Silk’ for the President’s husband and brother.
He said it was strange that all the lawyers in People’s National Movement’s 2015 election petition got ‘silk’ and that in former president Paula-Mae Weekes’ term, no one was awarded ‘Silk’.
He added, “But as soon as this new President entered – and we’d raised issues if she was fit for the job – among her first tasks, she give her husband and brother ‘silk’! I’m surprised she didn’t give her sister-in-law and the dog too.”
Moonilal said they’re opening a dangerous door by doing things like that!”
The MP also called on SC awardee, Independent Senator Anthony Vieira, to consider if he should resign from the Senate, since an Independent senator is supposed to be a critic of the Government and impartial.
He said Vieira, whose job is to be a critic of the Government, was given what was tantamount to an “award bestowed by the PM’s decision.” He felt it was unconscionable that the Cabinet can give ‘silk’ to someone who is an independent senator.
MP Saddam Hosein also took issue with the process of selecting senior counsel, saying under the current format, it’s ultimately with the Cabinet.