Trinidad and Tobago Transparency Institute (TTTI) strongly supports the call of Justice Seepersad for the Colman Commission of Inquiry to be made public in the case of Afra Raymond v The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Finance CV2018-04403. According to newspaper articles, the Report was sealed and sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for “consideration and comments or advice on the time of which this document should be made public in its entirety or partially”. Newspaper reports also indicate that the report has been lodged with the Office of the DPP as of June 2016.

In his ruling of July 4, 2019, Justice Frank Seepersad directed that within 28 days of the Court’s Order, the Ministry of Finance provide Afra Raymond with a list of specific sums paid to individual creditors of British American Insurance Company and CLICO from 2009 to present. The cloud of secrecy that hangs over the $25 billion dollar bailout with taxpayers’ monies must be removed.

In the interest of transparency, accountability and good governance, TTTI is also calling on the relevant authorities to make the Colman Report publicly available in its entirety.