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Bharath – Ventour Tantrum Puzzling
The Government, through Communications Minister Vasant Bharath said comments made by Deputy Chairman of the Integrity Commission, Sebastian Ventour are very puzzling.
Mr Ventour, in an interview with the Express made some very revealing statements regarding his resignation from the Commission. First of all, Mr Ventour, describes the decision making process through which the Integrity Commission deliberates “we don’t all have to agree to come to a decision, very often we come to a disagreement but once there is a majority…. There are five members of the Commission, three is a quorum”. He confesses that there are times when they will not always agree but once there’s a majority, a decision can be made. So that is the first significant point.
Mr. Ventour must have been aware then that notwithstanding his own individual views on any matter being deliberated by the Commission, the greater majority or prevailing view of the Commission members would determine the outcome.
He admits to leaving the discussion because in his view he didn’t like where it was going. So it would appear that Mr. Ventour chose to leave a discussion between members of the Commission on an extremely important matter and then shockingly expressed surprise when he learns that a decision was taken after he abandoned the meeting. Shocking in itself. He said he was “flabbergasted” that the Commission took this decision. I dare say the other members of the Commission must have been flabbergasted themselves when he walked out and deeply disappointed in him with his public outbursts after he didn’t get his way and chose to resign.
Question is, why did Mr Ventour feel his personal opinion ought to be greater than that of the weight of the quorum expressed by the Commission? Is it that he believes his singular view is greater than the Commission’s legally binding decision making process?
Is Mr Ventour suggesting that in light of his dissenting voice or that of the minority, that his view should prevail above the quorum, as agreed to by all who signed on to serve?
Judicial conduct requires that those holding such office refrain from bringing institutions or other officers into disrepute.
Proper procedures for recording dissent or disagreement exist and they never involve public statements. A judge of the Court of Appeal for example can record a dissenting judgment but maintains the dignity of the Court and fellow judges.
The IC Commissioner has intimate knowledge of judicial propriety and should have availed himself of any number of options:
1. Communication with the Chairman seeking clarification
2. Communication with the Registrar seeking clarification
3. Communication with the other members of the IC
4. Committing in writing to the Chairman and President his position.
The answers are clear. The Integrity Commission and not Mr Ventour terminated the investigation into Emailgate. The members would have weighed all matters and measured all evidence in arriving at the decision to discontinue the investigation. Mr Ventour disagreed and resigned. I would have expected as a former member of the judiciary he might be expected to understand the whole process of collective deliberations and decisions arrived at through a quorum as done by any jury in matters over which he would have himself presided at one time or another when he served on the bench.
The behavior of Mr Ventour when he didn’t get his way and his public pronouncements after abandoning the proceedings perhaps says more about his unsuitability for the post than it does to any views he might wish to now express.
What would have been a travesty of justice though, is if the majority of the members of the Commission had disregarded the process and bowed to Mr Ventour’s individual opinion and demands. We would all indeed have been “flabbergasted.”
http://unctt.org/bharath-ventour-tantrum-puzzling/
mars wrote:Read Gary Griffith's comment at the end. I think I know who is the whistleblower now... )and all this time I was thinking it Jack with a double-setup!)
http://www.trinidadexpress.com/20150523 ... -monitored
Special Branch report: DPP Office was monitored
Published on May 23, 2015, 10:15 pm AST
By Anika Gumbs
A Special Branch report has contradicted claims that the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) was not being monitored.
The report confirmed that infrared (IR) signals were found in the conference room of the DPP's Office at the Winsure Building, Richmond Street, Port of Spain on January 11, 2013.
Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar had referred to the report where it noted that infrared signals were found, but never divulged the full contents of it.
Findings of the report were forwarded to former national security minister Emmanuel George on May 24, 2013 by acting Commissioner of Police Stephen Williams. Unable to confirm or deny whether conversations involving various high-level cases were being monitored by technical surveillance, Williams said: "I have been advised that officers of Special Branch conducted an electronic sweep of the Office of the DPP, fifth floor, Winsure Building, Port of Spain on January 11, 2013. During the sweep they did not find any electronic listening device. However, whilst sweeping the conference room to the north eastern side of the building they detected IR signals."
Explaining that IR operates in line-of-sight, Williams said, any building located in the area of the DPP Office and has the appropriate technology could conduct technical surveillance on the said conference room.
According to Internet checks IR is a means of using light to transmit a signal over distance.
The IR is used for transmitting a signal representing sound in many assistive listening devices or assistive listening systems.
Sound proof
Regarding the infrared signals found in the conference room in November 2012, Williams further said, that there was no communication between the DPP and the police on the matter.
However, Williams said, Special Branch advised the DPP of the following:
(a) Install acoustic curtains which is to prevent sound from leaving the room;
(b) Set up thick drapes which can reduce the amount of acoustics from leaving the area; and
(c) Install frosted tint on the inside of the glass to minimise infrared penetration from the outside and also to reduce voice convulsions on the glass.
Williams also said that an electronic sweep of the DPP's office commenced on May 23, 2013 and would continue ensuring that all offices on floors of the DPP Department are checked for electronic listening devices.
The electronic sweep took place following the publication of an article on the said May 23 which revealed the shocking find of an infrared signal in the conference room of the Office in the DPP.
On May 6, 2015 Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar told Parliament that no spying devices had ever been found at the DPP's office.
About the e-mails
It was Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley during debate of a no-confidence motion against him in 2013 that revealed 31 e-mails, one of which referred to a plan to spy on the DPP during the Section 34 debacle and to offer him a judgeship in a bid to replace him.
The Central Tenders Board granted approval for Super Industrial Services security firm - Executive Bodyguards Services Ltd (EBSL) to assume duties at the office of the DPP on December 1, 2012.
The other e-mails suggested plans to harm a journalist and interfere with the judiciary.
The e-mails were purported to have been sent from the e-mail addresses: kamlapb1@gmail.com, anan@gmail.com, anand@tstt.net.tt, captaingarygriffith@hotmail.comand surujrambachan@hotmail.com.
The e-mail anan@gmail.com does not exist.
Persad-Bissessar said information from Google Inc, the US Department of State and the US Supreme Court showed that the e-mails were bogus.
The Integrity Commission (IC) has also terminated the Emailgate probe based on insufficient evidence.
However, the IC has come under the fire over the termination of the probe after deputy chairman former Justice Sebastian Ventour publicly voiced his disapproval over the termination of the probe claiming that the investigation was incomplete.
According to Ventour the IC only received information from Google Inc. Ventour subsequently resigned.
Ophthalmologist Dr Shelly -Anne Lalchan has also tendered her resignation citing personal reasons.
Griffith: I am not surprised
The Sunday Express contacted former minister of national security Gary Griffith asking if he was surprised by the shocking find of the IR signals.
Griffith said: "Very little surprises me anymore. If a minister could be fired because he refused to lie , as senior officials believed that those actions of speaking the truth and sticking on principle which we swore an oath for, may affect the image of the Government and may cause the demise of another minister, then very little can surprise me.
It goes back to what I have said all along.
Being one of the persons affected, based on the false e-mails presented, I would be the first to do anything to show that I am not involved in anyway, which is why I submitted my mobile devices immediately.
However, no one person can state that everything in the Emailgate investigation is false.
I can speak on my behalf.
One cannot speak on behalf of the actions of anyone else.
I do not believe that any Government official would stoop to such a level."
Griffith said the Police Service was not a private detective agency.
"By sending the e-mails to the police, it no longer involves just seeing if the e-mails are false or not, but the police are now verifying if any criminal activity took place in the investigation, which can vary from If any parts of the e-mails were true or not, If it was false, to find the individual involved in drafting it, to verify if an Opposition official may have conspired to embarrass the Opposition Leader if it was all a hoax, or, if it was a whistle-blower, but in an effort to cover his tracks and not be pinpointed, he framed what he believed via e-mails, , as we have seen what happened to whistle blowers in the matter with the Police Complaints director- they were fired
I think all parties just need to step back, and stop trying to politicise independent institutions in a zeal to acquire political points in their campaign
This has affected the police service, the DPP's Office, the Central Authority and the IC," Griffith said.
Report confirms infrared at dpp office
Story Created: May 22, 2015 at 11:08 PM ECT
Story Updated: May 22, 2015 at 11:08 PM ECT
A new controversy is emerging out of a not-so-new scandal linked to e-mailgate:
it begs the question: did the government come clean on pnm claims of probable spying on the premises of the director of public prosecution?
The prime minister has repeatedly denied the allegations, but tv6 news has obtained a high level report that suggests otherwise.
Rory Phoulorie wrote:I get a possible hook-up for a PP blogger wuk at the rally yesterday. I am supposed to know the blogger's committee decision by the end of this week. Will keep everyone updated.
Volney stands by blog on emails
By SEAN DOUGLAS Friday, June 21 2013
ST Joseph MP Herbert Volney yesterday said he sees no conflict between his recent blog/email that was claimed as support by Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley, and his rejection of Rowley’s recent no-confidence motion.
At a PNM rally on Tuesday at Piccadilly Greens, Port-of-Spain, Rowley read out Volney’s blog/email which he said refuted the Government’s outright dismissal (as fake) of a purported batch of emails presented by Rowley in the Lower House.
In the ensuing debate, Government MPs pointed out alleged inconsistencies in the format of the emails that they said meant the documents were bogus, but Volney’s blog/email statement takes a different tack.
“The issue of the probe is not whether the physical exhibit presented to Parliament is an authentic copy of the purported, alleged electronic exchanges, but whether the content or substance is true,” said Volney’s blog/email.
Rejecting the inputs of “a penny-a-dozen” ICT experts, Volney’s blog/email added, “No one doubts the exhibit is a transcription, either of a contrived place or designed to disguise its source”.
Newsday asked Volney if his blog/email was inconsistent with his vote in the Lower House to support the Government against Rowley’s no-confidence motion?
Volney replied, “I supported the call of Dr Rowley for an independent investigation of ‘Emailgate’ but thought that the allegation stage does not substantiate a cause for censure just yet, so I voted to reject the motion of no confidence.”
http://www.newsday.co.tt/politics/0,179492.html
:shock::shock: rfari wrote:Watch and learn uml and tricia
rfari wrote:rfari wrote:Watch and learn uml and tricia
The_Honourable wrote:I'm surprised how the case close cool cool. Nobody taking Rowley to task for it... even Kamla not running a victory lap.
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