(Trinidad Express) Attorney General Anand Ramlogan has put in the hands of the Solicitor General’s office the issue of the President’s receipt of a TT$28,000 tax-free monthly housing allowance while also receiving State-provided accommodation.
“This is an unfortunate occurrence,” Ramlogan said on Monday.
Speaking to the Express, the Attorney General said the matter had been referred to him by Finance Minister Larry Howai.
“Minister Howai has referred this matter to my Office for advice and I will ask the Office of the Solicitor General to provide some guidance and clarification to the Chief Personnel Officer on this matter,” he said. “Let the Solicitor General’s office decide.”
He said the Solicitor General’s office would be capable of providing much needed (legal) advice based on the relevant facts from both sides—the CPO and the Office of the President. He added that the Solicitor General is the legal adviser to both the office of the CPO and the Office of the President.
He appealed to people not to jump to conclusions since the President was “constrained” from speaking out publicly on the issue.
Head of the Public Service and permanent secretary to the Prime Minister, Reynold Cooper, told the Express yesterday he had received a report from the CPO, which he had shared with the Prime Minister. He said he had a view on the matter which he also shared with the Prime Minister.
Earlier in the day, speaking at a news conference called to announce the State’s legal victory in the matter of the legal challenge to the Constitutional Amendment bill, the Attorney General noted that the key players involved in this matter were the CPO, his Excellency and the Office of the President.
Asked who would bear political responsibility for this issue, Ramlogan said Government had to operate in accordance with the constitutional lines of demarcation. He said the office of the CPO was an independent one and the Government had “no sway or say” over the CPO.
“So if the Chief Personnel Officer gives a ruling in a matter, the Government quite frankly would be out of place,” he said.
Told that the CPO’s ruling was a variation and interpretation of the SRC (Salaries Review Commis-sion) Report as approved by the Cabinet, Ramlogan repeated that the office of the CPO was independent.
“If the Government were to intervene or interfere in matters concerning decisions which fall under the jurisdiction of the Chief Personnel Officer, the Government would be accused of unlawfully interfering in a matter that does not concern itself. The CPO having ruled in this matter, these questions would be more appropriately addressed to the CPO who can best advise on what principles governed her decision and what considerations were brought to bear”.
Reminded that the CPO reports to two line ministers (the Minister of Finance and Public Administration), the Attorney General again suggested that the media talk to the CPO. Both line ministers have stated they knew nothing about the decision of the CPO to authorise payment of the housing allowance.
