"God will vindicate me in the end," Energy Minister Eric Williams said yesterday, in his first public comment since police obtained a warrant for his arrest in connection with bribery allegations on Saturday.
Richard LordWilliams spoke with the Express after leaving church yesterday.
He said he was waiting on a call to meet Prime Minister Patrick Manning to discuss his future in the Cabinet.
Up to late yesterday, however, the meeting had not taken place, sources said.
Williams spent most of yesterday in quiet meditation.
He also received support from many people hours before an expected appearance in the Port of Spain Magistrates' Court today.
He went to church and prayed, asking God to clear his name and to forgive those who had brought this on him.
He said he wanted to surrender to police in a "dignified manner" today.
Asked if he was about to resign as Minister, Williams said that matter would be determined at a meeting with "my boss".
He said he would do whatever the Prime Minister advised him to do.
Williams maintained his innocence and said God would give him the victory.
"I am confident that Almighty God will vindicate me in the end of all of this," he said.
Commenting on media reports about his arrest, Williams said he was "very amused".
He said he was particularly amused by reports which claimed that he was being hunted down by the police.
He denied ever being in hiding from the authorities and also said the police knew where he was at all times.
Williams said that his attorneys, Desmond Allum SC and Ravi Rajcoomar, had been in contact with the police and that all arrangements had been finalised for his surrender this morning.
Williams is expected to be granted bail in the sum of $350,000 when he appears before a Port of Spain magistrate today.
Williams became the second of Manning's ministers to face corruption charges since November last year.
The first was former Works and Transport Minister and PNM party chairman Franklin Khan who was charged with six counts of corruption.
The two arrests stemmed from the alleged acceptance of bribes from PNM Councillor Dansam Dhansook, who alleged that they were paid bribes for the award of a contract for his firm in an energy-related project in Mayaro.
Both Khan and Williams have always denied Dhansook's allegations.
Dhansook had written to Manning about the alleged incidents and Manning subsequently referred the matter to the Integrity Commission for investigation.
Police subsequently conducted investigations and the Director of Public Prosecutions instructed that first Khan and now Williams be charged.
