Guyana’s Honorary Consul to TT faces probe for witness tampering

Feb 06, 2015 News

One day after Government said that it has no problems with Ernie Ross performing duties as Honorary Consul General to Trinidad and Tobago, there are indications that he could be in deep trouble in that territory.
The executive, who owns Ross Advertising, has close ties to Guyana, reportedly purchasing the Pradoville One home of former President Bharrat Jagdeo a few years ago. He is also said to have done advertising campaign work for the ruling People’s Progressive Party/Civic.

Guyana’s Honorary Consul to Trinidad, Ernie Ross

Ross is also Trinidad’s chief public relations consultant and is currently facing questions over his role in a witness tampering probe which forced Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar this week to announce that she had sacked her Attorney General, Anand Ramlogan, and Security Minister, Gary Griffith. She also reshuffled her Cabinet.
Ross initially denied playing a role in a secret meeting to have the matter settled.
The Government of Guyana, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on Wednesday said that they questioned Ross on the issue and he “provided a complete background to the situation”.
The Ministry said that it “reposes its confidence in the statement made by him and in his continued ability to responsibly carry out his duties on behalf of the Government of Guyana.”
The Ministry also pointed out that in addition to holding the unpaid position as Guyana’s Honorary Consul General to Trinidad and Tobago in Port of Spain, Ross is also head of the advertising firm, Ross Advertising.
“As Honorary Consul General, Mr. Ross is permitted to function in other capacities.”
But the Trinidad Guardian newspaper yesterday reported that Ross has changed his tune and is now confirming he did meet with the former National Security Minister and his wife at his St Clair office last Thursday.
That meeting which took place hours after Police Complaints Authority (PCA) director David West filed a criminal complaint against former Attorney General Anand Ramlogan, was first made public by Griffith, and had been stoutly denied by Ross and Communication Minister Vasant Bharath.
Griffith, who has been identified as a critical witness in support of West’s complaint, had threatened to tell all about the details of what took place at that meeting. The former minister said then his wife, Nicole Dyer-Griffith, chair of the Congress of the People, and Bharath were present at that meeting. Ross denied Bharath was part of the meeting, and the minister also said he was not present.
According to the Trinidad Guardian, the police will now have to determine whether Ross’ intervention amounted to an attempt to pervert the course of justice by reportedly advising Griffith to withdraw his witness statement in support of West.
In an interview on Tuesday, Ross, when questioned about the meeting, denied it ever took place and said the matter was now in the hands of his lawyers. On Wednesday, Ross in a telephone interview with the Guardian admitted he met with Griffith and Dyer-Griffith on Thursday last, just as Griffith had originally stated. He said he sat in that meeting in an “informal” role but denied Bharath was a part of it. Ross even took out a full page advertisement in yesterday’s Trinidad Guardian newspaper in a bid to “set the record straight.”
In that release, Ross said he “convened the meeting as a media adviser” to the former minister of national security.”