Diego Martin West MP Dr Keith Rowley has warned that Satan has an inclination to quote scripture from the Bible to suit his purposes.
He noted that Prime Minister Patrick Manning's use of Biblical scripture as a tool in the growing tiff between the two, appeared to downplay concerns about corrupt practices at the Urban Development Corporation of Trinidad and Tobago (Udecott). Rowley added that concerns to a Prime Minister from one of his Cabinet ministers about corruption at a State-owned company should not be shot down regardless of the behaviour of the minister. "These are public sector issues. It has nothing to my do with my behaviour in Cabinet. I was reporting on Udecott when I was minister for Udecott," Rowley said. He stressed that the prime minister failed to refute allegations that the Chinese government gave the government of T&T a loan of US$100 million to win over a multi-million contract for the construction of the Academy of Performing Arts in Port-of-Spain. "The Prime Minister spent all his time (in the debate in the House of Representatives yesterday) trying to psychoanalyse me. He responded to none, not a single one of the substantive issues that I raised with respect to the conduct of State business," Rowley said.
"The Prime Minister spoke at length today about my alleged condition (of improper behaviour in public office) but he never addressed that issue of bid-rigging at Udecott. No response, no denial. It is clear from the Prime Minister's presentation that they are not accepting any criticisms of Udecott." He said, "I spoke about Udecott and the evidence before the Commission of Enquiry, much of which was not known to us before the inquiry." A well-composed Rowley said in an interview yesterday afternoon outside the Parliamentary Chamber of the Red House that Manning tried to dismiss the allegations raised about Udecott through the launch of a character assassination on him. "If one thing can be said for the Prime Minister, it is that he is consistent. He has been consistently trying to portray me in a certain way. Today is no different. Clearly, the intention was to portray me in the eyes of the national community as someone who lacks self control," Rowley said.