By Derwayne Wills

EVEN as Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo yesterday received a reworked Code of Conduct for public office holders from a special committee, chaired by Minister Raphael Trotman, his office subsequently reported that an adviser to the Prime Minister had been dismissed.During the hand-over ceremony for the draft code of conduct at his Shiv Chanderpal Drive office, Mr Nagamootoo disclosed to the press corps that “one person in the Office of the Prime Minister was sent a letter of dismissal for similar matters that would engage an integrity inquiry for behaviour in public life.”

Although the Prime Minister did not explicitly state who was the person from his office that was dismissed, a subsequent statement from the Prime Minister’s Office (OPM) named Abel Seetaram, an Alliance For Change (AFC) member, who is currently before the courts on matters of dangerous driving.

No other information was forthcoming from the OPM statement, but this newspaper understands that Seetaram was dismissed for gross misconduct and bringing the OPM into disrepute. Seetaram, according to media reports, has not presented himself to the Court to answer to his charges. His matter has been moved to May 31, at the Blairmont Magistrate’s Court.

Mr Nagamootoo, speaking to an unnamed dismissal during his address yesterday to the press corps, took the opportunity to condemn what he called the “laissez faire” attitude of the previous Donald Ramotar Administration on the misconduct of public office holders.

“We have inherited a very tragic situation where there was a laissez faire attitude towards infringement and violation of the code that existed under the Integrity legislation,” Mr Nagamootoo said, adding “people were allowed to transgress with impunity.

Nagamootoo went on to set the bar for the treatment of public office holders under this Administration.

“While we hold a code of conduct to be of great importance, we must also point out that this is a new beginning; this is a fresh start and we want to be able to know that you don’t have a code – that it becomes a dead letter in the law; you want a code that can become enforceable,” Mr Nagamootoo said, on the need for the Code to be infused in the Integrity Commission Act.

The OPM statement extended well wishes to Seetaram for his services, and noted that there will be an announcement on the way forward for the appointment of another Special Representative of the Prime Minister in Region 5.