List of Ministers in the government from 1998-2001, and changes particularly in the Ministry of Public Utilities and whether minister is being investigated on suspicion of involvement in money laundering or drug trafficking [TTO37552.E]

The following list of ministers in the government of Trinidad and Tobago is extracted from The Europa World Year Books 1998-2000.

Ministry

  • May 1998
  • May 1999May 2000
  • Legal Affairs
  • Kamla
  • sameRamesh Lawrence

Persad-Bissessar

Maharaj

  • Foreign Affairs
  • Ralph Maraj
  • samesame
  • National Sec
  • Brig-Gen. (rtd)

Joseph Theodore

same

same
Finance &
Tourism

Brian Kuei Tung

same

same
Agriculture
Lands & Marine
Resources

Reeza Mohammed

same

Trevor Sudama

  • Works & Transport
  • Sadiq Baksh
  • samesame
  • Housing &
    Settlement

John Humphrey

same

same
Public Admin.
& Information

Wade Mark

same

same

  • Education
  • AdeshNanan
  • sameKamla

Persad-Bisessar

  • Health
  • Hamza Rafeeq
  • sameDr. Hamza Rafeq
  • Planning & Dev't
  • Trevor Sudama
  • sameBrian Kuei Tung
  • Trade, Industry &
    Consumer Affairs

Mervyn Assam

same

Mervyn Assam
Labour &
Cooperatives

Harry Partap

same

same
Community Dev.
Culture & Women's
Affairs

Dr. Daphne Phillips

same

same

  • Local Government
  • Dhanraj Singh
  • samesame
  • Public Utilities
  • Ganga Singh
  • samesame
  • Energy & Energy
    Industries

Finbar K Gangar

same

same

  • Social Dev't.
  • Manohar Ramsaran
  • samesame
  • Sport & Youth
    Affairs

Pamela Nicholson

same

Manohar Ramsaran
Minister in the
Office of the Prime
Minister with
Responsibilities for
the environment

Vincent Lasse

same

Reeza Mohammed
Minister in the
Office of the Prime
Minister with respon-
sibilities for
istance Learning,
Telecommunications,
And employment

Rupert Griffith

same

same

  • Tobago Affairs
  • Dr. Morgan Job
  • samesame
  • Tourism
  • Adesh Nanan
  • Minister in the office
    of the Prime Minister

Lindsay Gillette

According to information posted on the Website of the Trinidad and Tobago High Commission in Ottawa, the following is the "New Cabinet" (n.d).

  • Prime Minister
  • Hon. Basdeo Panday
  • Attorney General and
    Legal Affairs

Hon. Ramesh Maharaj
Communications and Information
Technology

Hon. Ralph Maraj
Community, Empowerment
Sport and Consumer Affairs

Hon. Manohar Ramsaran

  • Education
  • Hon. Kamla Persad-Bissessar
  • Energy and Energy
    Industries

Sen. the Hon. Lindsay Gillette
Enterprise Development,
Foreign Affairs and Tourism

Hon. Mervyn Assam

  • Environment
  • Dr. Adesh Nanan
  • Finance
  • Sen. The Hon. Gerald Yetmig
  • Food Production
    & Marine Resources

Hon. Trevor Sudama

  • Health
  • Hon. Hamza Rafeeq
  • Housing and Settlements
  • Hon. Sadiq Baksh
  • Human Development, Youth
    And Culture

Hon. Ganga Singh
Infrastructure Development
And local government

Hon. Carlos John
Integrated Planning and
Development

Hon. John Humphrey
Labour, Manpower Development
And Industrial Relations

Hon. Harry Parta
Transport
National Security

Sen. The Hon. Jearlean John

According to The Europa World Year Book 1998 (3342), 1999 (3490), and 2000 (3594), the Minister of Public Utilities was Ganga Singh. However, according to People in Power (1 May 2001, 188), and to the Websites of the High Commission of Trinidad and Tobago (n.d) and the CIA, Ganga Singh is now the Minister of Human Development, Youth and Culture (26 Feb. 2001). None of these sources lists a Public Utilities Minister (ibid., High Commission of Trinidad & Tobago, n.d., People in Power 1 May 2001, 188).

No information on an investigation concerning ministers suspected of involvement in money laundering or drug trafficking could be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate. However, the following information might be useful. The Latin American Caribbean & Central America Report, states that police accused former Minister of Local Government in the 1998 -1999 cabinet, Dhanaj Singh, of "receiving kickbacks of up to 50 percent of the value of contracts awarded by his ministry to a contractor, Karmchand Pampersad (3 Mar. 2001, 3). An earlier issue alleges that Prime Minister Panday dismissed Dhanraj Singh on 12 October 2000, when he [Dhanraj] declared his intention not to contest his seat in the 2001 general election (ibid. 31 Oct. 2000, 3).

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

References


CIA Website. 2 February 2001. "Trinidad and Tobago." http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/chiefs/chiefs177.html [Accessed: 20 Aug. 2001]

The Europa World Year Book 1998-2000. 1998-2000. 42-44th ed. Vol. 2. London: Europa Publications.

Latin American Caribbean & Central America Report [London]. 27 March 2001. RC-01-03. "Dhanraj Singh."

_____. 31 October 2001. RC-00-09. "Minister Sacked."

People in Power. 1 May 2001. Release No. 84. CIRCA.

Trinidad and Tobago High Commission, Ottawa. n.d. "New Cabinet Appointed." http://www.ttmissions.com/newsletter/appointedmins.html [Accessed: 20 Aug. 2001]

Additional Sources Consulted


Amnesty International
Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1998-2000. 1998-2001

.

Latin American Regional Reports: Andean Group [London]. 1998-2001.

IRB Databases.

Internet sites including:

Human Rights Watch.

US Bureau for International Narcotics and Law enforcement Affairs

OECD

United Nations Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention.

Search engines including:

Google

Dogpile