Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley yesterday dismissed claims by Justice Minister Herbert Volney that he had committed an act of treachery by releasing a hatched police report which indicated that there was no plot to assassinate Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar last November. Rowley responded to Volney's claim as he began a walkabout in Volney's St Joseph constituency yesterday. "I do not take Mr Volney seriously," Rowley said as he began his response. Rowley, who reminded reporters that he presented the said police report to P
resident George Maxwell Richards for verification, said "sharing information with the President of the country cannot be wrong." Rowley said he shared the report with the President because it indicated the Government was involved in "a massive misleading of the population." Rowley said the police report indicated that there was no real threat to assassinate Persad-Bissessar and Cabinet ministers Anand Ramlogan, Dr Roodal Moonilal and Chandresh Sharma. He said despite having this information Persad-Bissessar told the nation about the alleged plot.
Rowley said he presented the report to President Richards after Ramlogan said no such report existed and also accused him of "concocting it." Rowley said in presenting the document to the President he asked that it be investigated "to determine whether in fact that document forms part of the police files." Rowley said despite Volney's latest attempt to distract attention from the Prime Minister's handling of the matter, the facts available to the public have shown that there was no supporting evidence to support the alleged plot as those arrested had to be released. Rowley said based on those facts, the said police report "was proven to be correct...That's the key to the whole thing." Rowley ended: "Today we all know there was nothing to it (alleged plot)."