AG, Audit your office first

BY SHANE A. MOHAMMED So it appears that

AG FARIS AL-RAWI

So it appears that many persons either were not paying attention to what was going on in the Parliament on Monday April 8th during the Committee stage of the “Explain Your Wealth Bill”. If they were paying attention then there is no way that the Express newspaper would have used the headline “UNC Shocker”.

Why? Well for one, it was there for all and sundry to take note that the Honorable Kamla Persad Bissessar SC, sat from 1pm thereabout to 7:45pm, the length of the Committee Stage of the Bill and battled a very arrogant Government to amend the Bill. She was ably supported by MPs Bhoe Tewarie, Ganga Singh and David Lee.

The Leader of the Opposition was well prepared

It was an opportunity for the population to take note of the legal brilliance of the Opposition Leader. Imagine one on one with the Attorney General, discussing sometimes, debating at other times and getting annoyed in between with the hubris that the Government reflected. But in the end getting the much-needed amendments accepted and passed. For some of us looking on, it was painstaking to observe. It is not easy to sit and attempt to reason with ignoramuses but I also must commend the Attorney General for his graciousness at times because it reflected his upbringing. It was amusing and astonishing to observe the Attorney General wrestle with his own colleague, the Minister of National Security who at one point, appeared as if he wanted to sit in the AG’s seat and take control of the proceedings. It seemed that the Minister of National Security did not understand or appreciate the bipartisanship that he was observing. It was alien to him since we all know his modus operandi lacks respect, decorum and decency. The UNC however, must be very careful how it claims victories, a narrative was observed a day or so after the Bill saying that the country had owed Kamla Persad Bissessar a wealth of gratitude for the amendments that were included in the Bill. It was also observed that the commentary that came after the statements literally bleached the victory moment of the Opposition Leader. I certainly believe that the Leader of the Opposition was well prepared and equipped with the legal knowledge and brilliance needed in the Committee Stage, however those who created these narratives about the population owing a wealth of gratitude need to understand that such comments will do no good for the party, since much of the population viewed the Leader of the Opposition performing the job entrusted to her by the people. I am not in any way taking away from the marvelous job done by the Leader of the Opposition but sometimes those in the party responsible for social media marketing and management need to understand when it’s best to just hush and bask in the glory rather than bleach the moment with sycophancy.

The AG must do a manpower audit of the various agencies under his watch

Moving away from the UNC, it is noted that the Bill adds another authority to the Office of the Attorney General with the creation of the Civil Management Agency and the position of Civil Asset Trustee. Now I raise this point because I note that the addition of this department carries with it a great deal of responsibility which requires the utmost transparency and decency in public office. However, I wish to warn the Honorable Attorney General, who I believe outside of his political activities has some amount of decency, I hope it sustains. The AG must first do a manpower audit of the various agencies under his watch and determine whether those agencies and Office Holders have been performing their jobs efficiently, effectively and lawfully. I will go a step further and question whether the Registrar General’s Department has been working to its full capacity in terms of accountability, transparency and lawfulness.

Look into the operations of the Registrar General’s Department

I challenge the AG to look into the operations of the Registrar General’s Department and the many questions relative to that Department which remain unanswered. Such questions include, whether a formal police report has been submitted regarding the last birth certificate scandal? And whether there has been any outcome to this birth certificate scandal or the one before? Whether the persons who were accused in both scandals are still employed in that Department? What processes, whether manual or technological, have been put in place to prevent another scandal from happening? Has anyone within the ranks of the Registrar General’s Department ever been under a police investigation and if so what is the status and or outcome of said investigation? Has there been any complaints by any other public offices regarding the activities or actions of the Registrar General and what was the outcome, if any, of these said complaints? To whom does the Office of the Registrar General report? Given that questions have arisen repeatedly since there appears to be recurring scenarios within the operation of the Registrar General’s Department, is it true that the office holder carries a political lifeline directly to Balisier House which makes the individual untouchable? It would be in the interest of good governance and the preservation of integrity that the Attorney General in the exercise of his duties first ensure that the departments currently under his watch are functioning in the manner he proposes to introduce this new Civil Management Agency. It would serve the AG’s office well if that which currently exists is effectively and efficiently dealt with before adding new extensions.