Wanted: Transparent, professional investigation

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad - The staggering claims made by Opposition Leader Keith Rowley during the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar on Monday exceeded any expectations of politics as usual. Dr Rowley offered a damning trail of alleged e-mail evidence that outlined a sequence of governance misjudgements which include suggestions of an effort at silencing a T&T Guardian journalist in pursuit of a legitimate story, a plan to silence the Director of Public Prosecutions, thereby tainting the independence of the Judiciary, and a conspiracy to subvert the course of justice in the Section 34 matter. It must be noted here that these are allegations, not proven fact, despite the inflammatory nature of the e-mail transcripts and the public reaction to them. The Opposition Leader must have known that his revelations would not only be cross-examined but also would need to withstand the type of investigative scrutiny appropriate to this level of allegation against a sitting government. The Government for its part has responded appropriately, if passionately, to the allegations and called for the acting Commissioner of Police to investigate.