PANDAY
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC):
OPPOSITION LEADER Basdeo Panday goes on trial today for allegedly making false declarations to the Integrity Commission for 1997, 1998 and 1999 by not disclosing a London bank account, jointly held by himself and his wife, Oma.
At the same time, he has written to the registrar of the Integrity Commission, asking him to investigate the 2003 and 2004 declarations made by Prime Minister Patrick Manning and his wife Hazel.
Panday is charged for breaching Section 27 (1) of the Integrity in Public Life Act of 1987, which has since been repealed and replaced by the Integrity in Public Life Act of 2000, which carries stiffer penalties.
If convicted, Panday faces a maximum penalty of a TT$20,000 fine and two years' imprisonment on each charge. The Privy Council in London in February threw out an application by Panday to block criminal proceedings against him.
Panday, 72, of San Fernando, was charged on September 18, 2002 with knowingly making a false declaration to the Integrity Commission by failing to declare a London bank account, jointly held by his wife, Oma, and himself, for the years 1997, 1998 and 1999, when he served as Prime Minister.
NOT WITHOUT A FIGHT
But the Opposition Leader is not going down without a fight. He wants the Prime Minister investigated for alleged wrongdoing and on March 9 wrote to the Integrity Commission in that regard. If he is not given a response within 21 days, he says he will be taking legal action.
In his complaint to Albert Alkins, registrar of the Integrity Commission, Panday claimed that Manning and his wife - a senator and Education Minister - failed to make "full and frank" disclosures in their Statements of Registrable Interests under Section 32 of the Integrity in Public Life Act.
Panday pointed to discrepancies between the PM and his wife's 2003 and 2004 declarations.
