Social media blogger Rhoda Bharath paid with taxpayers money – Trinidad minister

(Trinidad Express) Government Minister Saddam Hosein caused an uproar in Parliament yesterday when he revealed that social media blogger Rhoda Bharath was paid $3.3 million of taxpayers’ funds with the approval of former finance minister Colm Imbert.

He said the matter has been referred to the Attorney General for examination.

 

Speaking during the budget debate in the House of Representatives, Hosein said Bharath received just over $3 million from the Ministry of Finance over a period of time, and an additional $300,000 from the National Lotteries Control Board (NLCB).

 

Hosein, who is Minister of Land and Legal Affairs and Minister in the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, pointed out that Bharath is an employee at The University of the West Indies (The UWI).

 

He questioned whether The UWI would take action against her for

some of her online posts, which he alleged violated the university’s Code of Ethics.

Armed with a bundle of documents, Hosein presented what he claimed was evidence of Bharath’s past employment with the Ministry of Finance as a media consultant.

He said her company, Type One Media and Research Solutions, received successive contracts and had been “specially selected” by Imbert. According to Hosein, contracts spanned from December 1, 2017, to May 1, 2025.

He noted that Bharath operates a social media page called NewsSauce.

“Public funds were being used by that woman, Mr Speaker, to denigrate persons, to use racist ­remarks, Mr Speaker,” he added.

Hosein vowed to expose what he called a “fraud” and declared he was unafraid.

“I am not afraid because all of us on this side were victims of her venom, Mr Speaker,” he said, as Government members loudly thumped their desks in agreement.

He said even members of the People’s National Movement (PNM) were targeted by Bharath.

 

NLCB payments

 

Hosein claimed Bharath collected $300,000 from the NLCB, but concerns were raised about the lack of documentation.

“When she submitted ­invoices, you know what the NLCB had to say about that? ‘On perusal of her file, Rhoda Bharath, I noted that no evaluation performance review was prepared therefore I am unable to state if she met her contractual ­duties.’ So they don’t even know what they were paying her for,” he said.

He continued: “So in total, Mr Speaker, under the watch of ­Diego Martin North East (Imbert)…Rhoda Bharath collected $3.3 million worth of taxpayers’ dollars as a paid blogger to spew xenophobic, racist (comments), Mr Speaker, and venom.”