Vasant Bharath has joined the Opposition UNC in slamming Finance Minister Colm Imbert’s criticisms of Auditor General Jaiwantie Ramdass.
Yesterday, he described Imbert’s comments as “a brazen assault on the integrity of the nation’s institutions.” He was also critical of the minister’s claim that the Auditor General’s recently released Special Report on TT’s 2023 Accounts added more “fuel to the fire.”
Imbert said the report didn’t satisfactorily address the core issue of a $2.6 billion discrepancy that arose with the Auditor General’s original report and which the Government felt was comprehensively cleared up.
In a statement, Bharath said, “In what can only be described as an alarming trend, Imbert’s continued verbal and political aggression against independent officeholders, reflects a dangerous disregard for the foundational checks and balances that safeguard the country’s democratic framework.
“The Auditor General’s role is crucial in maintaining transparency and ensuring that public finances are spent responsibly. By undermining the credibility of this office, Imbert is not just attacking the individual but is eroding public trust in an institution meant to act as a financial watchdog. When the office tasked with safeguarding the public purse is discredited, the path to fiscal irresponsibility and governmental impunity is paved.”
He added, “Regrettably, this is not an isolated incident. Imbert’s continued antagonism towards independent officeholders emphasises a troubling pattern: a government official seeking to silence or delegitimise any institution that could hold him accountable.”
Bharath said in the last five years, the Government and its agents have lost court matters to acting Commissioner of the Board of Inland Revenue Rohonie Ramkissoon, former Equal Opportunities Commission CEO Devanty Maraj-Ramdeen and former provost of the University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT) Fazal Ali. He said there had also been “scurrilous attacks” on the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions and “the injudicious removal” of Central Bank Governor Jwala Rambaran.
“All of these matters have cost taxpayers millions of dollars in legal fees and damages. It would appear these actions are deliberately aimed so as to leave these institutions discredited, hollowed out, and politically compromised, with the Government left with unchecked power that breeds corruption and authoritarianism,” he said.
“As a former government minister, I’m deeply troubled by the continued erosion of democracy and weakening of oversight bodies in T&T. Imbert’s demonstrated lack of competence over the last nine years, together with his arrogance and spiteful behaviour, are a toxic concoction that is detrimental to this nation’s fortunes.
“His bullying tactics, particularly under the cloak of parliamentary privilege, is a betrayal of public trust and an open attack on our democracy. His actions must be strongly condemned and resisted.”