EDITOR: Everyday people who fail to declare all their possessions on prescribed forms as the laws of Trinidad and Tobago demand at Piarco and other ports of entry into the country, are routinely charged for so doing and dealt with. It is more than passing strange that someone who was once Prime Minister of this country and aspires once again to seek such high office, should be charged for failing to declare all his assets to the Integrity Commission, and he immediately goes around the country, making statements such as 'the charge is politically motivated,' ' it is a political conspiracy,' ' the timing is suspect,' 'he would never surrender' and a host of other invectives, which suggests, either that he is above the law, that the Police and the DPP, is wrong to charge him like other citizens who break laws, or worse yet, because of his politics he should not be prosecuted for his suspected wrongdoing and must not be touched.

Interestingly enough this former Prime Minister and once more aspirant, proudly boasted for all to hear, when nine men were hung in one weekend, just before the last Local Government elections, that "the law is the law, and it must be obeyed, and anybody who did not like the law, should seek to change the law." We now have the incredible scenario where the very same man is attacking and pillorying process of the Integrity in Public Life Act law, which undermine the process of the functioning of the Integrity Commission and seeks to cast unfounded aspersions on its work. My advice to the politician is to take his own advice, if he does not like the Integrity laws that he was loudly proclaiming less than one year ago, and piloted and promoted in the Parliament, then he should seek to change the law, rather than to disrespect or undermine another institution in our country. His attitudes to the laws and institutions of the country, would certainly influences that of his followers.

Cindy Williams

Cops tracing Panday's money