Motions
Censure the Member for Diego Martin West
House of Representatives - 5th Session - 10th Republican Parliament
WHEREAS at a sitting of the House held on May 20, 2013, the Leader of the Opposition and Member for Diego Martin West read into the records documents purporting to be emails he had received from an unidentified source;
AND WHEREAS the alleged emails contained a series of serious unsubstantiated allegations of criminal misconduct in public office on the part of the Prime Minister and several Cabinet Ministers;
AND WHEREAS these allegations were widely reported in the local and international press thereby causing irreparable damage to the reputation of those identified, the Parliament, and the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago;
AND WHEREAS several leading authorities have submitted reports which confirm that the emails and their contents were false;
AND WHEREAS the foregoing reports have been in the public domain for a considerable period of time;
AND WHEREAS it is settled practice that any member who reads into the records of Parliament any correspondence, must take responsibility for and ownership of their contents;
AND WHEREAS the Leader of the Opposition has steadfastly refused to apologize to the House for his patently misleading and scandalous statements:
BE IT RESOLVED that this House censure the Member for Diego Martin West and Leader of the Opposition for his reckless, unsubstantiated and scandalous allegations;
AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Dr. Keith Rowley, Member for Diego Martin West and Leader of the Opposition be suspended from the service of the House for the remainder of the session.
(By the Leader of the House)