By SEAN DOUGLAS Friday, October 16 2009

SPEAKER Barry Sinanan on Wednesday sent CCN TV6 and two of their journalists Sasha Mohammed and Samantha John, to the Privileges Committee of the Lower House for allegedly misreporting on the work of that committee, and on remarks by Sinanan.

Information Minister Neil Parsanlal moved the motion of privilege and alleged, “We therefore view as a serious matter of contempt, these gravely distorted reports of our proceedings and the subliminal attempt, Mr Speaker, to paint you as being biased in your rulings on matters involving the privileges of this House.”

Parsanlal alleged misreporting of the House’s last sitting on October 9 where Sinanan rejected Siparia MP Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s call to send Attorney- General John Jeremie to the committee for criticising Justice Rajendra Narine’s call for a probe into allegations made by Jamaat al Muslimeen leader Yasin Abu Bakr, against the Government and the Prime Minister in a controversial affidavit.

Sinanan last Friday ruled there was no prima facie case against Jeremie, but Wednesday Parsanlal thought this ruling had been misreported by CCN TV6.

Saying not every inaccurate report should provoke a reaction by the House, he alleged, the report’s alleged inaccuracies could damage the civility that exists between the Legislature and the Judiciary, and bring the House and Speaker into odium or ridicule.

Sinanan in his ruling said, “While members of the Opposition may feel this is a laughing matter, I do not. It’s a very serious matter.

“I have read this carefully and I am disturbed by what has come out of it, and I have no hesitation whatsoever in referring this matter to the committee of privileges for its report.”