THE Prime Minister has said no money has yet been paid to the law firm Al-Rawi, Haynes-Soo Hon and Company, which filed a formal response on behalf of the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) to the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha.
He was speaking in Parliament on Friday morning.
Maha Sabha attorneys recently wrote to the Cabinet complaining of the cut in the number of national scholarships and the implementation of a new bursary system.
In a response dated April 1, the law firm told them not to file any legal proceedings against the Cabinet, as it was in the process of addressing the Maha Sabha's pre-action protocol letter.
The firm is owned by the wife of attorney general Faris Al-Rawi, and this has since been criticised by the Opposition.
Al-Rawi's wife’s firm is forbidden to receive work from the Office of the Attorney General, but not from other arms of the State, including the Office of the Prime Minister.
Naparima MP Rodney Charles asked Dr Rowley how much money had been paid to the firm thus far.
Rowley said, "Zero, zilch, nada, nothing, none at this point.
"The matter is in the court, and at the appropriate time, a bill will be issued and a payment will be made."
Charles asked if Rowley was "aware of the procurement process" used to choose the firm.
Rowley said, "The Office of the Prime Minister, from time to time, will be required to seek legal help, and they will seek that legal help through the Office of the Permanent Secretary or through the Attorney General.
"The Prime Minister is not involved personally in selecting any law (firm) and if it has been done, it has been done within the realms of the appropriate public service department."
Charles then asked what procedures "exist in his office for tenders such as these."
Rowley said his office has no procedure which "specifically identifies any citizen to be discriminated against or to be favoured.
"This is a business that has involved the hiring of probably hundreds of lawyers.
"And I fail to see, other than a certain kind of unmentionable, what has my colleague from Naparima obsessed with what happens to a law firm of which the member's wife is a partner. And I would just suggest to my colleague, it's very unbecoming to be targeting a member's wife in that way, because no law has been broken and no breach has been met. And I'm unaware of any wrongdoing in this matter.
"If you do find any wrongdoing, please let me know and I will pass it to the appropriate authorities."
Charles said this was important since it involved taxpayers' money.
Rowley said, "I know that but it does not mean you have to behave like that."
He questioned Charles's "obsession with the AG's wife."
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