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  • 1 year ago
The Prime Minister says there is a State witness outside of Trinidad and Tobago who is involved in a matter in which a former Minister of government is involved.

Juhel Browne reports.
Transcript
00:00During the PNM's post-budget meeting at the Belmont Community Center, Prime Minister Dr. Keifer Aulis said a $50 million allocation
00:08to the Office of the Prime Minister is for money outstanding to Udicot for its expenses over the past six years.
00:15He was responding to opposition leader Kamala Prasad Bissetta's contribution to the 2025 budget debate in Parliament on Friday
00:22before he made an apparent reference to some members of the opposition.
00:26Did you see a couple of them tying their stomachs because they get so big and fat?
00:33I don't have that problem. I'm a golfer, I sweat, I walk. What is their problem?
00:45I'm coming and talking about, but I tell you what, as a result of nonsense today,
00:51I've asked Udicot to give me the breakdown of what the Prime Minister's residence costs under me and what it costs under her.
01:02The Prime Minister said he would have that information ready in time for his contribution to the budget debate,
01:08as he confirmed one of the perks of his job is an entertainment allowance, but said it is something that he probably used once or twice.
01:17I do not make claims for entertainment because I don't use it, because I don't go out to eat and drink because it's available.
01:32Prime Minister Rowley then focused on another part of the opposition leader's response to the government's budget for fiscal 2025
01:39with regard to the state's witness protection program.
01:43There's a member of her front bench, and there's a witness protection program into which this country pays upwards of $200 million.
01:52But there's a witness out of the country who is hiding from being killed in Trinidad and Tobago in a particular program
02:00where a Minister of Government was involved at the time, and that witness is of interest to them.
02:07So when she starts talking about witness protection program, it gets me very worried and very concerned.
02:13The Prime Minister spoke about the reason for his concern as he made reference to the 2010-2015 UNC-led People's Partnership Administration.
02:23She must know what that program is because she was chairman of the National Security Council.
02:29We pay a substantial amount of millions, and we have a lot of people in the witness protection program around the world.
02:36Why is this lady coming here and trying to make an issue in a budget debate and just throw it out like that?
02:42When one of her members want to get his hand on a witness that is outside on a particular matter.
02:48But I say no more about that.
02:50The witness protection program in Trinidad and Tobago is officially known as the Justice Protection Program,
02:55which is under the Ministry of National Security.
02:59Jule Brown, TV6 News.
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