Businessman and social activist Inshan Ishmael has criticised Social Development Minister Donna Cox, who had been reported as saying sometimes people who go to collect free hampers do not really need them.

She added, some are “in need and some in greed.”

Cox also got flak from social media users and opposition members for her comments.

She reportedly said sometimes people who go to hamper drives do not really need the items.

She spoke after a planned distribution of food hampers had to be abandoned when too many would-be recipients at South Park, San Fernando, turned up in hopes of collecting hampers.

Cox defended her comment, saying it was taken out of context.

But Ishmael said her comments were made without facts.

This was even though in a 2020 Facebook post he himself referred to some people at one of his hamper-distribution drives as greedy.

“We have a lot of cases, and some people are 100 per cent greedy. I will not take back that word. Those people, I would not call them nice and decent. I will call them greedy,” Ishmael said on Monday by phone.

“Ninety-five per cent of the people who came were honest....

"Then we had about five per cent who are fraudulent. They were just greedy.”

He made the "greedy" comments in April last year about a distribution drive at Barakah Grounds, Chaguanas. Each household was expected to get one hamper. He accused some of the recipients of lying, saying some got hampers but returned for more.

On Monday Ishmael said he made his comments on that occasion "on facts, with evidence. I will not agree with (Cox's) statement, because it was based on no evidence. She had no proof, no empirical data. I, on the other hand, have facts,” Ishmael emphasised.

“Her statement is one in which a politician decided to run her mouth without facts. She should not call people greedy when she has no data to back it up.”

He accused Cox of “generalising” without knowing everyone's circumstances.

But he said he and his staff have photos, videos and “everything else” to back up his claims about people being greedy at his drive.

He recalled that a family from Felicity left with four or five hampers and were boasting about it. They were eventually identified and brought them back.

Ishmael has hosted numerous charity drives for the less fortunate. He said his organisation has several databases of people in need. He and his team also liaise with religious organisations in different communities.

“We work with the religious organisations to validate and verify the authenticity of people,” he said.

Ishmael is the CEO of the Islamic Broadcasting Network and ROC, an automotive parts store. He also owns Grilliant, a fast-food restaurant at Endeavour, Chaguanas.

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