By Clint Chan Tack Tuesday, October 6 2009

“WHY must I resign for speaking the truth?”

This was embattled Independent Senator Michael Annisette’s defiant response to NH International Caribbean (NHIC) chairman Emile Elias’ request to President George Maxwell Richards to revoke Annisette’s senatorial appointment.

Annisette took this position while speaking with reporters during the tea break in the Senate. His statement came hours after he joined his fellow board directors of Udecott at a special news conference where they said they would not be resigning from their posts. Declaring he was not resigning from the Senate and the President had not fired him, Annisette declared: “I am here at the pleasure of the President. If the President believes I have done something mischievous, something that is misleading, he is entitled to revoke my appointment.”

Annisette rejected claims that he was using his position in the Senate to wage “a private vendetta” against persons who were opposed to Udecott.

Referring to his contribution in the debate on the Validation Bill in the Senate last week, the senator insisted all he did was indicate the fundamental right of any citizen or company in the Constitution to protect themselves against any legal attack.

Annisette stood by his statements that NHIC was registered in the Cayman Islands where it does not pay taxes and that Elias gave campaign contributions to Diego Martin West MP Dr Keith Rowley. “I have the documents here. I quoted from a public document,” he stated, referring to a folder he had with him.

Annisette also said he had documents which proved Elias made contributions to Rowley’s election campaign in 1996.

“Dr Rowley said he was not aware for the amount. Let them come and tell me how much,” Elias stated. Rowley and Elias have both rejected Annisette’s statements in the Senate last week.