http://guardian.co.tt/sport/2011/02/13/cops-probe-govt-officialCops to probe Govt official
Published: Sun, 2011-02-13 11:12
Anika Gumbs-Sandiford
The Mayaro location where it is alleged the conspiracy was orchestrated between a government official and another man leading to the arrest of former government ministers Franklin Khan and Eric Williams. Photo: Nicole Drayton
A senior Government official—a senator—is to be questioned by police in a fraud conspiracy after Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar forwarded a letter to Commissioner of Police (CoP) Dwayne Gibbs.Sunday Guardian has learnt that the hand-written letter forms a vital piece of evidence in the police matter as it allegedly links the top government official to willfully conspiring to set up two former government ministers. The four-page letter was sent to the Prime Minister three weeks ago by a man who once had close links to the former administration. The letter dated December 27, 2010 was sent to the top cop last month by Persad-Bissessar to be investigated. The CoP has forwarded the letter to the Director of Public Prosecutions. A copy of the letter was also sent to the top Government official in question.
Meanwhile, a senior Express journalist and a former PNM official have already been quizzed in connection with the letter sent to the PM. Itwas on September 21 that senator Fitzgerald Hinds in Parliament claimed that a member of the Cabinet and Government of T&T, along with a journalist from CCN, allegedly concocted a story against aof the letter alleged that the government official falsified a piece of correspondence at the office of a San Fernando-based attorney that lead to the arrests of People’s National Movement ministers Franklin Khan and Eric Williams on corruption allegations that surfaced more than six years ago.
Story concocted at a beach resort
In addition, investigators are also said to be probing a lead that revealed the plot behind the conspiracy was because an attorney had stopped receiving legal briefs due to the change of board members at a State enterprise. “Investigations are progressing. Three weeks ago a statement was sent to the Prime Minister and it was handed over to the CoP to be investigated. If word gets out from the PMs office that the Prime Minister received this letter and then it ends up missing it would not reflect well. All aspects of this matter are being investigated. The filth from this conspiracy could touch a high office holder,” a top police source disclosed.
It is alleged that the conspiracy was first orchestrated between the Government official and the man at an East Coast beach resort where the individual was spending a long weekend. Following that meeting, Sunday Guardian understands, several pieces of correspondence were prepared implicating Khan and Williams in a plot where they were accused of accepting bribes and kickbacks in return for contracts in the industrial sector. A copy was also forwarded to Persad-Bissessar, the then Siparia MP, who read out the letter during an April sitting of Parliament in 2005.
Copies were also sent to former Prime Minister, Patrick Manning and former Attorney General, John Jermie alleging several misdemeanors tantamount to misbehaviour in public office.
Perverting the course of justice
It was based on allegations that the matter was handed over to the Integrity Commission for investigation spearheaded by Special Branch Acting Commissioner of Police Wellington Virgil.
Both Khan and Williams were subsequently charged.
Khan was charged with six counts of corruptly receiving bribes totalling $120,500, while Williams was charged with accepting $75,000.
Both Khan and Williams resigned from their ministerial posts following the allegations.
However, Williams was freed of the charges by Port-of-Spain magistrate Lucian Cardenas-Ragoonanan on December 31, 2007 based on unreliable evidence.
Three years later on September 21, the corruption charges against Khan were dropped when Director of Public Prosecutions Roger Gaspard informed deputy chief magistrate Mark Wellington that the State had opted to discontinue proceedings against Khan because of “new developments” appearing to be attempts to pervert the course of justice.
However, investigations later revealed that the correspondences were “suspect.”
The unearthing of this new development, Sunday Guardian learnt, has led investigators back to the matter.
It was former CoP, James Philbert who instructed acting senior supt Martin Morean to investigate the matter. However, the matter was passed on to senior supt David Nedd when Morean proceeded on pre-retirement leave. Nedd, police sources said, is also on leave. Philbert claimed in an exclusive interview with the Sunday Guardian that he was hounded out of office because of his involvement in the case.
The matter is now in the hands of ACP Raymond Craig.
Police sources revealed that CoP Gibbs and Craig met with the DPP a few weeks ago to discuss the status of the investigation.
Several attempts to contact the DPP yesterday proved futile.
(Reporting by Malissa Lara-Patterson)
(Flashback)
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Wednesday, April 27, 2005
The House met at 1.30 pm
Statement by Siparia MP Persad-Bissessar that led to the arrest of Khan and William.
“During our conversation Minister Williams again told me that I should be careful as though threatening me, for Ralph Brown and intelligent services is on my case. I then told Minister Williams that I will take this matter to the Prime Minister and he replied that I will be surprised to know how much Mr Manning is against me if I spoke to him, the Prime Minister. I then told him that this conversation is getting no where. To this Minister Williams told me that I was greedy and he also believed that I was sabotaging the project. I then reminded Minister Williams that I had already given him $75,000 in bribes on the said project and I will expose him. He said expose Frankie too, referring to Minister Khan. He then hung up.
Therefore, Prime Minister, in the circumstances, I am with a death threat hanging over my head. I am confirming to you that I have paid bribes to both Ministers Franklin Khan and Eric Williams on the said seismic project and further, Minister Khan used one of my companies in the 2001 general elections to rip off a venture production to pay for his campaign. I can make much more information available to you, Mr PM, but I will stay here for now. As you will observe Prime Minister, I wrote this part of the letter in my own handwriting for I did not want anyone typing this letter to be privy to the foregoing information. I wish not to bring your party nor government nor Cabinet into dispute, but I have taken precaution to send copies sealed of this correspondence to New York and to prominent persons locally, in the event harm comes to me. I do not want to end up as Hansraj Sumairsingh. Therefore, Prime Minister, I am asking you to pacify this situation urgently for time on my part is not a comfort.
I have in my hands what I found in my mailbox. I know that the Member for Diego Martin West always gets letters in his mailbox. I was fortunate to get this in my mailbox. We are speaking of a report of the EBC but we cannot turn a blind eye on the whole electoral process of the country. That is the bedrock of the democracy.
This letter is addressed to the hon Prime Minister. It says
Having written to you the preceding letter, I visited Minister Franklin Khan at his office on Ash Wednesday. I felt obliged to do so because I have certain arrangements with Minister Khan. At his office, Minister Khan told me that Minister Williams met him on Carnival Tuesday and told him certain things about me and the seismic project. I related to Minister Khan the threats that Minister Williams made to me. Minister Khan then told me that one retired General Ralph Brown is the source of all the bad reports that Mr Manning is receiving. He further told me that Eric Williams told him also that for quite some time Mr Ralph Brown is keeping Mr Manning updated on the project and poisoning your mind against me. Mr Khan then asked me to leave his office, he wanted to make a private call. After about five minutes Minister Khan then called me back to his office and asked me to speak to Minister Eric Williams on the phone. I hesitated but the Minister insisted and I reluctantly spoke to Minister Williams.”