Sandy objected to Reshmi
By Newsday Staff Monday, January 24 2011
MINISTER of National Security John Sandy was yesterday named as the lone member of the National Security Council who objected to the appointment of Reshmi Ramnarine, 31, to the position of director at the Strategic Services Agency (SSA).
Sandy reportedly objected to Ramnarine’s appointment when her name was proposed at a National Security Council meeting chaired by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar this month.
Newsday understands the issue of Ramnarine’s qualifications for the post were raised. Also discussed was the fact that other apparently more suitable candidates were at the SSA, which already had two senior staff members functioning at the highest levels.
Even after Sandy objected, the Prime Minister, who is the head of the National Security Council, went ahead and recommended to the Office of the President that Ramnarine be given the top position.
The members of the National Security Council are: the Prime Minister, Attorney General Anand Ramlogan, Sandy, Minister of Legal Affairs Prakash Ramadhar and all of the heads of the protective services.
Last Friday, Sandy was given a prepared statement on the issue of Ramnarine’s appointment, which he read out in Parliament. He declined to answer questions about the appropriateness of Ramnarine’s appointment when sent notes and questioned by Newsday.
Sources close to Sandy said up to yesterday, he remained uncomfortable over the developments and could be contemplating his future.
Newsday learnt yesterday that while Ramnarine tendered her resignation from the post of director of the SSA, she remains employed with the controversial Security Intelligence Agency (SIA), the unit to be merged with the SSA under Government plans. It was reported yesterday that Ramnarine is to report to work as normal in coming days.
On Saturday, in a resignation letter to Sandy, she cited fears over her “personal safety” as well as the compromise to her status as an agent.
In Parliament last Friday, Sandy said, “the National Security Council deliberated on the matter and decided to accept the recommendation of the deputy director. The appointed officer has nine years experience at the SIA and is a graduate of the University of the West Indies,” he said. “The decision of the National Security Council was subsequently approved by Cabinet.” He also said “the appointed officer was installed to act for a period of six months in the office of director of the SSA” and not the SIA, even as a press release from the Office of the President said Ramnarine was appointed to head SIA.
On Saturday, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar denied anything had gone wrong in Ramnarine’s appointment, despite objections raised over the 31-year-old’s qualifications
In speaking to reporters at the National Academy for the Performing Arts (NAPA), Port-of- Spain, Persad-Bissessar said Ramnarine was recommended for the post by the deputy director of the SSA. There are two deputy directors Julie Brown and Keron Ganpat. Neither Sandy nor Persad-Bissessar said which one of them recommended Ramnarine.
“The National Security Council received and considered that recommendation and recommended to the Cabinet. It was a decision of the Cabinet. There was nothing clandestine about the appointment,” she added.
Persad-Bissessar said she did not know much about Ramnarine before the recommendation came before her. “I might have been told that she worked there at some point in the past but I have no personal friendship, relationship or knowledge of the director,” she said.
When staff were informed of Ramnarine’s appointment, they were despondent, sources said yesterday. Staff members questioned why more senior officers, such as Brown and Ganpat, had not been appointed.
Opposition Leader and leader of the PNM Dr Keith Rowley yesterday disclosed a matter of privilege will be raised against Sandy at Friday’s sitting of the House of Representatives for allegedly misleading the Parliament about the appointment of Ramnarine as head of the SSA.
Speaking at a public meeting at the Edinburgh Government Primary School in the Caroni Central constituency, a seat of the People’s Partnership, Rowley told PNM supporters that it was unacceptable for any government minister to mislead the Parliament on matters which fall within their portfolio which they are supposed to know about.
Disclosing that one of the 12 PNM MPs will raise a matter of privilege against Sandy, Rowley declared that under the Westminster system of Parliament “lying to the Parliament is grounds for dismissal.”
Rowley said the population was unlikely to see Persad-Bissessar take any disciplinary action against any of her government ministers. He added the statements of Persad-Bissessar and Foreign Affairs Minister Dr Suruj Rambachan did nothing to clear the air over Ramnarine’s appointment.
Also in Parliament last Friday, Rambachan sought to answer concerns about Ramnarine’s qualifications saying she holds a Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree in information technology (IT) and is presently studying for a BSc degree in psychology. He also said she has international experience but did not specify in what field.
On that afternoon, Rowley unsuccessfully attempted to raise the issue of Ramnarine’s appointment as a definite matter of urgent public importance. His application was refused by Speaker Wade Mark. The Opposition however intends to keep the issue on the front-burner by raising the matter of privilege against Sandy. The House of Representatives is due to debate a motion on the SIA on Friday as part of Private Member’s Day.
Earlier at a press conference yesterday, Rowley said despite Ramnarine’s resignation, the issue had not ended in the minds of the PNM.
“In fact, there are more questions now than answers, and we will be demanding those answers from the Government,” he told reporters at his office at Charles Street, Port-of-Spain. Rowley responded to the issue against the backdrop of earlier statements by the Opposition that they would have found it difficult to cooperate with the Government on any matter in light of the controversial appointment.
“The situation has now changed. The lady is no longer in the job. As far as I know she had tendered her resignation, I am not sure to whom. So, the threat of not cooperating with the Government, there is no basis for that anymore. But, the matter certainly has not ended.”
