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Housing Ministry denies locking out Irfaan Ali
The Ministry of Housing and Water has denied that it had locked out former Minister Irfaan Ali from the Brickdam building.
The Ministry recently issued a statement in response to reports that the former Minister of Housing and Water, Ali was locked out of his office last week.
Irfaan Ali
However, the Ministry did admit to changing the locks.
In its press release, the Ministry expressed disappointment with regard to an article published in this newspaper last Wednesday.
The Ministry opined that the “inaccuracies” published brought “dishonour to the lauded offices of the Minister and Permanent Secretary”.
According to the Ministry, Ali was at no time denied access to the Ministry. Instead, the Ministry said, he was “still engaged in activities related to the just concluded elections and had not gone to the Ministry.”
Subsequent reports indicated that Ali said he had not visited his office since the Friday before Elections Day.
However, though Ali made this claim, the vehicle identified as his was spotted outside of the Ministry on Wednesday afternoon when this newspaper paid a visit.
Furthermore, this newspaper maintains that it was reliably informed by two well-placed sources that the locks had indeed been changed. The sources also indicated that the order had come from “higher up”. Outside of the Minister himself, only the PS has the authority to give such a directive.
Also, though the release said that the Ministry did change the locks, it did not indicate the reason for doing so. Nonetheless, it maintained that “action reportedly taken by the Ministry was done with the knowledge of the former Minister after he had completed clearing his office of personal items and documents.”
Emile McGarrel
Before the locks had been changed, vehicles were spotted moving several boxes and files from Ali’s office. Staff members had captured photos of at least one vehicle being loaded with boxes.
Emile McGarrel, the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, has already advised staff to prepare to work with the new Minister, the release said.
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