The United National Congress (UNC) said it “strongly condemns Minister of Health Terrence Deyalsingh’s apparent misuse of public funds for political campaigning in his St. Joseph constituency.”
In a Media Release on Tuesday (25th March, 2025), Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the UNC, Dr. Kirk Meighoo, said reports indicate that “large, Ministry-branded water bottles, accompanied by campaign-style cards featuring Deyalsingh in PNM attire, have been distributed to residents of a townhouse complex in St. Joseph at taxpayers’ expense.”
The UNC provided the following photos as evidence:
Dr. Meighoo added, “It has come to our attention that these water bottles were part of a Ministry of Health initiative, with Members of Parliament being offered an allocation of 100 each. While Opposition MPs rejected this blatant attempt at electioneering under the guise of public health, Minister Deyalsingh appears to have used his allocation to campaign within his constituency, a clear abuse of State resources.”
The UNC said it has already filed a Freedom of Information (FOI) request seeking details on the cost of this project, the supplier, and the procurement process. “This reckless spending comes at a time when Hospitals lack essential medicines, and suppliers of goods and services to the Ministry of Health remain unpaid. It is obscene that Minister Deyalsingh would prioritise electioneering over providing critical healthcare services to the people of Trinidad and Tobago.”
The Media Release concluded by saying, “We have also written to the Integrity Commission [see letter below], demanding an immediate investigation into this apparent violation of election laws and State resource mismanagement. The UNC will not stand idly by while public funds are used to finance the PNM’s campaign. We call on the people of St. Joseph and the wider national community to reject this blatant misuse of taxpayers’ money and to hold the PNM accountable for its continued abuse of power.”
Below is the letter sent to the Integrity Commission by Chairman of the UNC, Davendranath Tancoo:
March 24th, 2025
Mr. Hadyn Gittens
Chairman
The Integrity Commission of Trinidad & Tobago
Level 14, Tower D
International Waterfront Centre,
#1 Wrightson Road,
Port-of-Spain
registrar@integritycommission.org.tt
Dear Mr. Gittens,
The United National Congress (UNC) writes to formally lodge a complaint regarding the apparent misuse of State resources for political campaigning by the Honourable Terrence Deyalsingh, Minister of Health and Member of Parliament for St. Joseph.
It has come to our attention that large, Ministry of Health-branded water bottles, along with campaign-style cards featuring Minister Deyalsingh in PNM attire, were distributed to residents of a townhouse complex in St. Joseph. Reports indicate that this distribution was facilitated using State funds under the guise of a Ministry of Health initiative. At the time, Mr. Deyalsingh was the named candidate for the Constituency of St. Joseph and it is my assertion that by including political campaign material as a candidate seeking election, together with Ministry-funded material, Mr. Deyalsingh engaged in conduct that can be considered inappropriate and contrary to the law.
We are deeply concerned that Minister Deyalsingh has used and/or approved the use of resources paid for by the Ministry of Health, potentially including Ministry personnel, funding, and logistics to distribute these materials, thereby violating the principles of fair elections and misusing public funds for political advantage.
We respectfully request that the Integrity Commission urgently investigate this matter to determine:
1. Whether public funds, personnel or resources were used to procure and/or distribute these items for political purposes.
2. Which other constituency in Trinidad and Tobago similarly received BOTH the bottle and the PNM campaign material of the PNM Candidate for St. Joseph. This will clearly establish the nexus between the provision of the item and the political misuse of State resources.
3. Whether Minister Deyalsingh's actions constitute a violation of the law, including the Integrity in Public Life Act, Chapter 22:01.
4. What is the number and cost of the bottles distributed together with the political parapheralia, and the evidence of the source of payment for same. For clarity, did Mr. Deyalsingh pay for these bottles out of the Ministry of Health's funding or was this paid for privately.
5. Whether Minister Deyalsingh's actions violate any laws governing the fair use of State resources during an election period.
6. Whether there is precedent or legal guidance preventing the use of Government projects as campaign tools.
At a time when Hospitals face severe shortages of critical medication, and when public funds should be prioritized for essential services, it is doubly unconscionable that State resources would be used for blatant political campaigning. We urge the Integrity Commission to act swiftly in ensuring accountability and fairness in our electoral process.
Given that this action has occurred within the current election period, with a General Election campaign currently ongoing, this is a matter of great urgency and warrants immediate investigation and response so as not to allow any alleged abuse to continue.
I have included photographs of the bottle and accompanied political campaign material.
We look forward to your response on this matter. Please acknowledge receipt of this complaint and provide updates on the actions that will be taken.
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