CNC3 _The Office of the Prime Minister has pulled back on its decision to appoint Senator Garvin Simonette as the Public Administration Minister to replace Marlene Mcdonald.
In a post on the OPM Facebook page a short time ago, the Office of the Prime Minister said the 2 pm swearing-in ceremony was “cancelled in light of new information.”
The Prime Minister will retain responsibility for that portfolio until a new appointment is decided, according to the post.
Shortly after the government announced its decision to appoint Simonette – who is a government senator- as McDonald’s replacement, pictures began circulating of a 2014 mugshot of Simonette from the Brevard County’s police officer in Oklahoma, USA.
The arrest record said the booking relates to a charge for driving under the influence.
Senator Simonette currently practices as a commercial lawyer in both contentious and non-contentious matters and is considered by his peers to be one of the senior practitioners in the commercial law arena.
He practiced in England (at Nabarro’s and Masons, now PinsentMasons, from 1987 until his return to Trinidad in 1994).
He now regularly acts for both major private sector companies and inward investors to the Caribbean as well as Government entities.
He appears as Counsel in both the High Court and the Court of Appeal and has conducted major commercial arbitrations.
He has also appeared as independent legal expert witness on Trinidad and Tobago company/commercial and taxation law in the Texas Courts.
He was called to the Bar at Gray’s Inn, London in 1987.
Simonette is law graduate of the University of the West Indies and holds an LLM from the University of London.