Postby wickedtuna » August 29th, 2017, 12:30 am
JUST four days after he said there was no “blight” with the Public Utilities Ministry, Robert Le Hunte's ministerial appointment has been revoked.
He is expected to be reappointed in early September, however.
Le Hunte, former managing director of HFC Bank in Ghana, which is owned by local banking group Republic Financial Holdings (RFHL), was sworn is as Public Utilities Minister by President Anthony Carmona at a ceremony last Thursday at the Office of the President, St Ann's.
The ceremony was attended by his family, friends and Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley.
The Office of the Prime Minister issued a release yesterday stating that Le Hunte is a citizen of Ghana and therefore he cannot be appointed a senator.
“It has come to the attention of the Honourable Prime Minister that Mr Robert Le Hunte is a citizen of Ghana and, accordingly, he is not qualified under section 42(1) of the Constitution of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago to be a appointed as a senator,” stated the release.
“Accordingly, the Honourable Prime Minister has so informed the President of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. Mr Le Hunte will be rectifying his position and, once this is done, the Honourable Prime Minister will appoint him as a senator and as Minister of Public Utilities. Under these circumstances, until the matter is rectified, the Honourable Prime Minister will assume the portfolio of Minister of Public Utilities.
The release added that it is expected that this situation will be rectified by Friday, September 1.
No call back
The Express contacted Le Hunte yesterday, who said he will call back, but he never did. Attempts to reach him afterwards proved futile.
Le Hunte will have to renounce his Ghanaian citizenship to become a minister in T&T, which appears to be a simple process.
According to information online from the Ghanaian embassies, an application to renounce one's Ghanaian nationality should be addressed in the form of a letter to the Minister of Interior through the embassy.
The letter should give applicant's detailed curriculum vitae, and state the name and current address of his/her parents. The letter should also state whether the applicant is in any way indebted to the government of Ghana by way of bond, scholarship or otherwise. Applicants are also required to complete the appropriate form.
A fee must be paid for the processing of citizenship renunciation, which is inclusive of the cost of the Citizenship Renunciation Form.
The application letter together with the completed Form and relevant photocopies of applicant's current Ghana passport should be returned to the embassy with one passport-size picture and a letter of warranty issued by the region where he/she resides.
It stated that the renunciation becomes legal only after a certificate has been issued by Ghana's Minister of Interior.
Previous cases
At Le Hunte's swearing-in ceremony last Thursday, he was asked by the media whether he felt the Public Utilities Ministry was blighted as there were four ministers before him holding the portfolio.
Ancil Antoine, Fitzgerald Hinds, Marlene McDonald and Rowley .“No. It's not blighted,” Le Hunte responded as he asserted that he was up to the challenge.
Le Hunte said he had every confidence in leading his ministry and tackling the fiscal woes surrounding State entities such as the Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA), Trinidad and Tobago Electricity Commission (T&TEC), Petrotrin and Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago (TSTT).
It is not the first time there has been an issue with dual citizenship and office holders. The issue went to the courts in the cases of Winston “Gypsy” Peters and Bill Chaitan.
Peters, a T&T citizen, had voluntarily acquired United States citizenship in 1996, but retained his T&T citizenship. However, it was found that Peters, as is customary, had taken a public oath renouncing other citizenships and sworn allegiance to the US when he became a US citizen.
In the case of Chaitan, he was born in T&T, but had become a Canadian citizen in 1978 and had lost his T&T citizenship as a consequence, because of the law at that time.
In 1989 he was able to restore his T&T citizenship when the law changed.
Both men were elected as Members of Parliament in the 2000 general election but election petitions were brought challenging their qualification. The High Court ruled against them and the matter went to the Court of Appeal.
At the Court of Appeal they lost 2-1. The men were disqualified as MPs because they had acquired foreign citizenship by voluntary acts.
. I'm enjoying the show though 
