Dear Editor,
Reference is made to the SN editorial (April 4) about accountability in relation to allegations against a Minister. The President revealed after the press asked about the allegation against the Minister that the said Minister lost his phone. This presumably would have happened in late February when the Minister was in New York for Republic Day celebrations. Isn’t it intriguing that a Minister would have lost his phone and not shut it down to prevent its illegal use? All smart phones have a built in feature to shut it down.
Note that while the allegations of sexual peccadillos were floating on social media, it took the President to report to the public that the Minister’s phone is missing — a whole month after its purported loss and subsequent to damning revelations involving the Minister.
The Minister’s phone would have confidential information and it was absolutely necessary to block it and file a police report. As I read various comments in the media, there was no Minister’s report to the police on a lost phone and the Presi-dent didn’t advise the Minister to report the matter to the police on his missing phone, but the President advised an alleged abused young victim that he can’t help her. She was advised to file a report with the police for an investigation into the Minister’s alleged transgressions.
The sexual revelations in the media about the Minister are of such a nature that an accountable Minister would have resigned immediately in an effort to avoid embarrassing the government and his family. Previously, under the Ramotar administration Minister Bheri Ramsaran was removed from office for threatening to slap a female. Under this administration, so far there is no accountability as under Ramotar presidency.
What can be done to stop the moral slide? President Ali has declared April 8 as a day of fasting (with all three major faiths observing fasting periods: Navratri, Lent, Ramadan) to reflect on the moral slide the country is experiencing. Will the accused Minister of the New York incident be penalized for his indiscretions? In light of this and so many other revelations on allegations of corruption afflicting this administration, isn’t it time for a cabinet reshuffle? Isn’t it time for cleansing of cabinet?
Yours truly,
Saleem Jumaan
