(Trinidad Guardian) On Monday July 1, Housing Minister Roodal Moonilal announced to reporters his “intention” to approach “in a day or two” the “editor and owners of the Guardian.”
This was with respect to what he described as a campaign being waged by one of its reporters “to hound me down” which had led among other things to his security “now been threatened.”
Moonilal was at the time speaking to reporters following a land distribution ceremony at Centre Pointe Mall in Chaguanas and was responding to a series of articles querying his use of a Range Rover leased for the Housing Development Corporation at a monthly rental of $24,000.
The Housing Minister however yesterday strenuously denied that he met with members of the Ansa McAL board on July 5. This denial would mean that he never followed up on the intention.
An Express article published on Thursday stated a source claimed that two Ministers had met with the Guardian board to exert pressure on the newspaper and threatened to pull advertisements. The Prime minister has said she asked her Cabinet Ministers and they all denied meeting the board.
Moonilal said on Friday: “I find the story (Express story) most amusing and almost surreal. The Guardian through their official Mr (Gabriel) Faria, he has said that no minister attended any meeting or sought to influence the Guardian. The ministers have said no, but yet there are other voices somewhere, believe, yes. I find that almost surreal. Like all the ministers at present, I had no dealings with the Guardian or the owners or the editor or anything.”
The Minister said although he may not agree with everything published on him or the People’s Partnership Government, he supported press freedom.
Moonilal said on Friday: “They have written stories, some I like, some I may object to, but that is how it is. That is the nature of the game. Not every story on the Government or myself I appreciate, but they have the right. I have always respected the right of journalists to perform their duties and while I may object to a story I go no further. I register my objection, but that is the end of it. I openly speak to journalists on the streets like you. I speak to no one else above you. So all my contact is with journalists in this type of forum. I have never had any contact with editors and managers and all these types of people. In fact, I didn’t know who was the manager.”
