(Trinidad Express) A war of words has broken out between National Security Minister Gary Griffith and Communications Minister Vasant Bharath a mere 24 hours before the Prime Minister’s eagerly-awaited statement to the nation this afternoon. Yesterday, a defiant Gary Griffith accused his Cabinet colleague, Bharath, of hypocrisy and of desperately looking for a “red herring” in order to create a basis for his (Griffith’s) removal from the Cabinet.
He was responding to statements made by Bharath.
Griffith, who holds the important National Sec-urity portfolio, is alleged to be a critical witness in the witness-tampering al-legations levelled against Attorney General Anand Ramlogan by Police Complaints Authority (PCA) director David West, which is currently the subject of a criminal investigation by the police. Griffith’s acerbic response was triggered by a release issued yesterday by Bharath, in which he denied the Cabinet ever pressured Griffith in any way on the witness-tampering issue and accused Griffith of making statements to that effect.
Bharath claimed Griffith’s actions had compromised the integrity of the Cabinet.
Responding to Bharath’s criticisms, Griffith denied ever making the statement that the Cabinet was pressuring him.
“I find it very hypocritical that the Minister of Communications has issued a release without communicating with the line minister to even verify if those statements made were ever said by me,” Griffith told the Express.
“That is what is mind-boggling. (It is) a desperate attempt to find a red herring to see if I could be removed (as minister), to try to see if I would reveal information what went on in the Cabinet,” he added.
“I challenge him to show me where at any time have I stated that I was pressured or that I made any revelation about what was said in Cabinet.
This seems to be another red herring, a desperate attempt or need for my removal.”
Griffith said the court of public opinion would see through this clearly.
“I do not intend to budge or be pressured in any way and I intend to state exactly what has transpired and my knowledge of the matter presently ongoing with the police investigation into the Attorney General and the director of the PCA,” he reiterated.
Griffith added that Bharath had “jumped the gun” in a “desperate attempt to claim that no one pressured me or tried to tell me not to make a report to the police”.
“Mr Bharath seems to have forgotten the text messages he sent to me,” stated Griffith. “And he should answer to the country why he was upstairs in Ernie Ross’s office and why he called me, and Ernie Ross (of Ross Advertising) called my wife, and what Ross informed myself and my wife whilst he was in office on Thursday afternoon, after it was revealed that police were investigating this matter with the Attorney General.”
Reiterating that at no time did he make any statement in the public domain relating to matters coming out of Cabinet, nor did he say that anyone was pressuring him, Griffith said, “That excuse they are using will fall flat.”
Griffith said text messages were sent to him “which I may also give to the police”.
