Soca Warriors Online Discussion Forum
General => General Discussion => Topic started by: jimbo on January 29, 2009, 07:51:46 PM
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Trinidad Guardian
Member of the Uff Commission of Enquiry Israel Khan, SC, yesterday waded into executive chairman of the Urban Development Corporation of T&T (Udecott) Calder Hart, telling him he had a knack for breaching established rules. This, as hearing of the Commission of Enquiry into the Construction Sector and Udecott continued. Khan told Hart that sacked government minister Dr Keith Rowley had been vindicated in the probe. “It seems to me that you have a knack, Mr Hart—with the greatest respect—for breaking your own rules and ignoring sagacious advice given to you, by lawyers, by ministers, everybody,” Khan said. “If we find that as a fact, that is a serious indictment against you.” Hart responded quickly: “If you made that indictment, it is serious...There is no question about that.”
Khan said Hart ignored the advice given to him by then planning and development minister Dr Keith Rowley, not to award a flawed contract to Hafeez Karamath Ltd for the Customs and Excise Building in Port-of-Spain. `He said Rowley was within his right to so advise, but Hart refused and proceed to get legal advice on the matter. Khan told Hart: “It seemed to me that Hafeez Karamath had a water-tight connection with Udecott insider information about contracts.” He was commenting on an issue raised by attorney for the Joint Consultative Council on the construction sector Alvin Fitzpatrick, SC, during cross-examination of Hart earlier.
In response to Fitzpatrick, Hart said he could not confirm how Karamath got information about certain packages at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Tarouba , south Trinidad. Later, in response to Khan’s submission, Hart said he did not know when the estimates for the packages were done. Karamath had tendered the exact figure for the packages even before it was made public. Hart said: “I don’t know when that estimate was done. I don’t know how he comes to the exact figures that are in that estimates, whether it was done pre or post submissions.” Khan told Hart: “If all the allegations, including Rowley’s claim that he (Hart) had committed perjury, turn out to be true—you ready to resign?” Hart answered: “If they turn out to be true? Yes!”
Khan forced Hart to withdraw a critical comment he made of the Commission. Hart had said that the Commission could have spent its time addressing more critical issues that those before it. Yesterday, Hart withdrew the comment. Khan asked Hart: “Would you agree that if all these things I pointed out to you are true, it will be a scandalous state of affairs in this country?” Hart said he agreed. Moments later, Commission chairman John Uff told Hart that no member of the Commission “holds any brief for any party. We are not here to accuse you of anything...We are here to listen to and weigh the material that comes before us.”
He said what Khan did earlier was to reflect “some very serious accusations that have been put.” Hart later told the Commission that he was receiving five salaries. He did not elaborate. He said, however, that the salaries were approved by the Public Sector Negotiating Committee. He said he received a bonus of between half-month and three months’ salary. He said, in response to further questions from Uff, that he did not expect any bonus from the Brian Lara Stadium project because it was not as successful as was originally intended.
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Ah wonder if he have he money in Clico
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One has to go!!! Either Patrick or Hart!!!!. Pick one allyuh!!!!
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no brainer? :devil:
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Rowley: Udecott affairs smelling
Kimberly Mackhan
20 Oct 2009
In a scathing attack on his political leader and Prime Minister Patrick Manning, Diego Martin West MP Dr Keith Rowley yesterday said the affairs of controversial State-owned Urban Development Corporation of Trinidad and Tobago (Udecott) “smells to the high heavens.” He said the PNM was being put on trial because of the support its political leader Manning was giving to the controversial Udecott. In an animated hour-long presentation in the House of Representatives yesterday afternoon, Rowley supported the legislation to validate and protect the work of the Commission of Enquiry set up to investigate Udecott and the local construction sector. He expressed strong disapproval against actions of Udecott to condone practices that were against its own tender procedures. “The tail is not to wag the dog. The dog is to carry the tail and keep its tail behind it,” Rowley said. He also became enraged after discussing legal action by Udecott to obtain a stay on the operations of the commission.
He said: “There are those of us in the PNM, for the PNM, who support the PNM, who want no part of this. "The PNM has fundamental principles about morality and public affairs. Those principles are coming under attack and I am putting you under notice. The next election would be the Udecott election said. “(John) O’Halloran (a PNM minister who was found guilty of corruption) has receded into the background. There are other names to be called.” Rowley reminded his other PNM MPs about the stigma from the O’Halloran scandal that affected the PNM’s ability to campaign for elections in the 1980s. He said: “This country has to understand that sometimes you have to break the mould to make a new shape and I am breaking it on behalf of all of the PNM people who, in 1986, when we went to campaign in my area... they (were) slamming doors in your face in Westmoorings, in Glencoe, in Bayshore and all they (are) telling you about is O’Halloran.”
He said the Udecott fiasco looked at least ten times worse than the alleged corruption in the construction of the Piarco International Airport. He added: “That is what we are being called upon to do. And those of you, those of you who think I am being (an) obstructionist... what we are being called upon to do by a small clique of people in the country is to support wrongdoing, (to) pretend not to know and see if we can ride it out. We are not going to ride it out.” He gave several examples of discrepancies in the conduct of business at Udecott. Among these included the role of local contractor Hafeez Karamath in a multi-million dollar Valsayn land transaction with the National Union of Government and Federated Workers (NUGFW) Construction Company Limited, in which Independent Senator and Udecott director Michael Annisette was involved. “Land owned by Udecott, Karamath gets the contract with no competition. And there is bank Udecott... bank Udecott, yes, because part of that arrangement was that Karamath would be financed by Udecott.
"So Calder Hart, the (executive) chairman of Udecott goes to Calder Hart the chairman of the Home Mortgage Bank and orders $170 million and hands to the contractor (who had a contract of) $134 million,” Rowley said. He expressed annoyance that the contract was awarded to Hafeez Karamath Limited with no competition, no tender and that “Hart from Udecott, borrows from Hart from Home Mortgage Bank $170 million.” Rowley said: “Now the question is this, if the contract was awarded for $134 million, why was Udecott borrowing $170 million for the contact?” Rowley claimed that there was no truth that Karamath had joint ownership in the land. And, he added that it went from the National Housing Authority to the NUGFW to Udecott and “nowhere would it show that it is owned by Hafeez Karamath.” Rowley also dismissed Hart’s excuse that his and Sunway’s fax number were not the same. “If the technology exists for Sunway to make a computer glitch in Glencoe and generate a number in Cascade, how come then the same telephone number appeared on the rubber stamp of Sunway?” Rowley asked.
“And that is what I am being asked to defend and there is no way that I as a PNM MP defending that. Next week, I will be 60 years old. I am a pensioner and I am good to go. ‘Go quietly,’ as I was advised, is not on.” He said: “As I told the Prime Minister when he fired me and asked me to go quietly, it is not on. I represent the people and I have a job to do. Let the records show that when this was going on, one member of the PNM stood up and said in the name of the PNM, this must not go on. "We have seen where we have come from and we are seeing where we are going and, for me, it is the biggest issue.” Rowley called on the Prime Minister to stand up in the Parliament and dispute the truth of his statements. “That has to be wrong (Udecott’s legal challenge against the commission). No country should accept that from any Prime Minister. But as a country, I do not care who you vote for. I do not care who you worship, government in any country is damaged by that kind of behaviour and if this country cannot call to order its Prime Minister and his Cabinet and a political party to say we are not accepting that, God help us because those who are hired ought never to get bigger than the people who hired them,” Rowley said.
“But me in the Cabinet, I am dismissed from the Cabinet and slandered for misconduct but nobody could say what the misconduct is. Do me a favour Prime Minister, in this debate, get up and tell the country what I did in the Cabinet.” He added that each school child in T&T knew “there was something in this country called Udecott and its smells to the high heavens and this problem ought to dealt with by changing the board.”
Kamla is not surprised:
UNC deputy leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar said last night:
“It’s not surprising the statements coming from PNM MP Keith Rowley. It is exactly what we have been saying about corruption, except this time the statements are coming from the bowels of the PNM. "It proves what we have said that the PNM is the most corrupt Government this country has ever seen.”
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If there were 10 more in T&T like Dr. Rowley, Lasana Liburd and Gillian Lucky, we'd be so far advanced as a country....*sigh*
GO Dr. Rowley!!!!!....lend de Emperor hell!!....
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If there were 10 more in T&T like Dr. Rowley, Lasana Liburd and Gillian Lucky, we'd be so far advanced as a country....*sigh*
GO Dr. Rowley!!!!!....lend de Emperor hell!!....
Only recently I was thinking the same thing about Dr. Rowley. Granted I don't know as much about TnT politics, but I love the way this man is going about business. I truly hope his motive is not based on party leadership.
To the few who are trying to make a difference.. keep going!
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Dats right...gi dem the "wajank"
Is pace for Matrick Panning.
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Rowley staying quiet loooong time now.
only cause he and manning fall out he bumping he gums
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(http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b28/strenkt/manningsnoring.jpg)
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(http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b28/strenkt/manningsnoring.jpg)
Poor !
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manning continues to disappoint me every day. is like all d power gone to his head an he doh give a fork about d country.
after d second economy boost a couple years ago, we should have been in a more developed state than how we are now. we in a terrible state. an yuh hearin all d time it have no money in d treasury. whey all d money gone! steups!
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Rowley staying quiet loooong time now.
only cause he and manning fall out he bumping he gums
Cosign if he and Manning was still pitchin marbles and climbing trees he would say nutten so me eh want u hear him.
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(http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b28/strenkt/manningsnoring.jpg)
not only is he our Prime Minister
de man is ah 4 King eyelid inspector ALSO :devil:
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daiz wuh yuh call beppin.
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Rowley staying quiet loooong time now.
only cause he and manning fall out he bumping he gums
Cosign if he and Manning was still pitchin marbles and climbing trees he would say nutten so me eh want u hear him.
The whole episode just goes to show that Manning is damn fool and MAY have made a costly political error when he decided to fire Rowley for a most dotish of reason....talk Rowley talk....
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Rowley staying quiet loooong time now.
only cause he and manning fall out he bumping he gums
Cosign if he and Manning was still pitchin marbles and climbing trees he would say nutten so me eh want u hear him.
Political error d fanatics on either side will vote 4 dem d few level headed 1's will decide whether Patos or Bas. Choose yuh poison. Rowley just doin Elias biddin so me not intrested in anyting he have 2 say.
The whole episode just goes to show that Manning is damn fool and MAY have made a costly political error when he decided to fire Rowley for a most dotish of reason....talk Rowley talk....
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Rowley staying quiet loooong time now.
only cause he and manning fall out he bumping he gums
Cosign if he and Manning was still pitchin marbles and climbing trees he would say nutten so me eh want u hear him.
The whole episode just goes to show that Manning is damn fool and MAY have made a costly political error when he decided to fire Rowley for a most dotish of reason....talk Rowley talk....
He bounce he head. Rowley has much more credibility than him. I hope for but do not anticipate his retirement before the next elections.
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If there were 10 more in T&T like Dr. Rowley, Lasana Liburd and Gillian Lucky, we'd be so far advanced as a country....*sigh*
GO Dr. Rowley!!!!!....lend de Emperor hell!!....
Hmmm ah man with a closet of skeletons, a vendetta journalsit and a man in woman clothes , doh take much for TT to advance
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If there were 10 more in T&T like Dr. Rowley, Lasana Liburd and Gillian Lucky, we'd be so far advanced as a country....*sigh*
GO Dr. Rowley!!!!!....lend de Emperor hell!!....
Hmmm ah man with a closet of skeletons, a vendetta journalsit and a man in woman clothes , doh take much for TT to advance
Yeah, dais how much mess we in.... ::)
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Rowley staying quiet loooong time now.
only cause he and manning fall out he bumping he gums
Cosign if he and Manning was still pitchin marbles and climbing trees he would say nutten so me eh want u hear him.
The whole episode just goes to show that Manning is damn fool and MAY have made a costly political error when he decided to fire Rowley for a most dotish of reason....talk Rowley talk....
He bounce he head. Rowley has much more credibility than him. I hope for but do not anticipate his retirement before the next elections.
Doh let Kiethos foolall yuh d man eh credible.If there were 10 more in T&T like Dr. Rowley, Lasana Liburd and Gillian Lucky, we'd be so far advanced as a country....*sigh*
GO Dr. Rowley!!!!!....lend de Emperor hell!!....
Hmmm ah man with a closet of skeletons, a vendetta journalsit and a man in woman clothes , doh take much for TT to advance
Vendetta we need more journalist wit vendatta than bein mouth piece
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Tell me wish political party doesn't have skeleton in the closet. Look, it appears that manning and Rowley are polar opposites. Ever since Rowley challenged him for the leadership, Patrick, it seems to me, has had some kind of vendetta against him. Nobody must challenge the PM? All yuh only men yes men. That is ridiculous. That is why I call for term limits. 2 terms and f---king out. Time for Patrick to go or PNM will go!!!!!!!!
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Doh let Kiethos foolall yuh d man eh credible.
Well girl, so far everything they've thrown at Keithos eh stick....in fact the man cause ah Integrity commission board to resign. Didn't he win something else against somebody over Landate or was it the same Integrity commission? Any who so far he PUBLICLY coming out smelling like roses and Manning looking like a damn fool. Espeically since he Manning (and he band of merry yes men) insist on publicly supporting Calder Hart when on the face of it, he Hart, eh smelling like roses at all right now. Let's start with the mysterious fax number.......
Ah also hear what yuh saying about elections.....from the way things shaping up I goh be one voter on the sidelines with mih popcorn and some mauby to wash it down....cuz ah eh voting for Manning and he stooges and dem other fellas cyar cut it.....
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Doh let Kiethos foolall yuh d man eh credible.
Well girl, so far everything they've thrown at Keithos eh stick....in fact the man cause ah Integrity commission board to resign. Didn't he win something else against somebody over Landate or was it the same Integrity commission? Any who so far he PUBLICLY coming out smelling like roses and Manning looking like a damn fool. Espeically since he Manning (and he band of merry yes men) insist on publicly supporting Calder Hart when on the face of it, he Hart, eh smelling like roses at all right now. Let's start with the mysterious fax number.......
Ah also hear what yuh saying about elections.....from the way things shaping up I goh be one voter on the sidelines with mih popcorn and some mauby to wash it down....cuz ah eh voting for Manning and he stooges and dem other fellas cyar cut it.....
baby! :beermug:
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aye capo ah here mannin callin yuh name in dis, wais dah one ;D
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aye capo ah here mannin callin yuh name in dis, wais dah one ;D
Yes Capo wha goin on dey??.... ;D
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Doh let Kiethos foolall yuh d man eh credible.
Well girl, so far everything they've thrown at Keithos eh stick....in fact the man cause ah Integrity commission board to resign. Didn't he win something else against somebody over Landate or was it the same Integrity commission? Any who so far he PUBLICLY coming out smelling like roses and Manning looking like a damn fool. Espeically since he Manning (and he band of merry yes men) insist on publicly supporting Calder Hart when on the face of it, he Hart, eh smelling like roses at all right now. Let's start with the mysterious fax number.......
Ah also hear what yuh saying about elections.....from the way things shaping up I goh be one voter on the sidelines with mih popcorn and some mauby to wash it down....cuz ah eh voting for Manning and he stooges and dem other fellas cyar cut it.....
He eh do nutten illegal but as I say he battin heavy for he pardner Elias who has done such a stellar job in d hospital in TBGO. I will neva support a man who was in cabinet say eh c d hotel in d project come out and cuss and then do a half bake apology dat d press but in pg 100 while dey carry he rants on pg1.
ZERO CREDIBILITY= ROWLEY. Y he eh resign he seat. I guess d MP perks 2 gr8.
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Well, we have to agree to disagree on this one. Until he detractors bring evidence out in public that discredits what he has said so far.....I in he corner....
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Well, we have to agree to disagree on this one. Until he detractors bring evidence out in public that discredits what he has said so far.....I in he corner....
COSIGNNNNNNNN
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CALDER HART SALARY
The Government finally tells the Parliament, the net monthly pay of the controversial Udecott Executive Chairman...who also sits on four other State Boards. It's a figure that's about three times more than that of...Prime Minister- Patrick Manning ..Watch video report here .. http://www.cbeanmedia.org/TV6NEWS_F4V/Links/min_nunez_rpts_calder_hart_receives_200K_per_month_09_12_18.htm
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I find he perks eh enough....my problem is how the hell they renew he contract in the middle of a commission of enquiry AND after evidence came out (some from his own mouth) that things eh right in UDECOTT....I want somebody explain that one to me.... :-\
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So ah hear Mr. Man resign effective immediately.
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So ah hear Mr. Man resign effective immediately.
Via email! ::)
Ah sure Patrick must be lose some pee!
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So ah hear Mr. Man resign effective immediately.
Boy mih TV locked on TV 6 just waiting for the 7 pm hour!!!....well yes!!!...look thing!!!...
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So ah hear Mr. Man resign effective immediately.
Boy mih TV locked on TV 6 just waiting for the 7 pm hour!!!....well yes!!!...look thing!!!...
Hart resign
Manning and oman heading out early to London
Saith is acting PM
Panday and Ramnath must be feeling like 2 johnnycunnies
Kams must be throwing waist on ah table
ROWLEY where ya?
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:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:
http://ttblogs.com/patrickmanning/2010/03/06/catch-me-if-you-can/
Catch me if you can
March 6th, 2010 · No Comments
One of the things I hate about cell phone roaming is the lack of caller ID. When Rev Apostle Juliana Peña travels with me I never have that problem, of course. She always knows in advance who’s calling, as any good seerwoman should. And usually she knows what the caller’s calling about as well. “Dat is Hazel,” JP would say, “she just find out a certain female member of cabinet accompany us on this trip. You probably doan want to answer that.”
The one person whose calls JP was never able to detect, however, were Calder Hart’s. Somehow the man’s Voldemort-like aura is invisible to La Peña’s powerful prophetess radar. “Try harder!” I’d say, urging her on as the phone rang and rang and the veins in her temples popped out with the effort. “Ah tryin’, Patos!” she’d say, her fists to her forehead and her eyes screwed up in pain, “ah tryin’!”
So I suppose that even if Juliana P hadn’t been in hiding and were here with me at the Dorchester, occupying the usual adjoining suite, she would not have been able to shield me from the call.
“Hello?”
“Patos! Where the hell are you?”
“Oh—it’s you. What do you want?”
“What the f**k do you think I want? I want all of this shit to go away, is what I want.”
“What shit?”
“Like you don’t know, eh? Those assholes at UDECOTT fired me!”
“Fired? I thought you’d resigned.”
“Cut the bullshit, Patos. When you brought me here you promised me full banana republic-style immunity for anything I did. You said you’d protect me. And now there’s a rumour going around town that you’re in London en route to Zimbabwe to seek asylum from Mugabe. Talk is that’s the vision your prophetess took to Mugabe back in 2005 when she visited Zimbabwe as your “special envoy“: “In the year 2010 I foresee Patos’ ass is going to be grass, so you’ll need to grant him asylum.” I want to believe the rumour’s false, but if I’m not mistaken, that sounds a whole lot like EastEnders on the TV.”
Damn my addiction to British soaps! Juliana P warned me I’d get in trouble one day because of it.
“Er, I’m watching it on iPlayer.”
“Then in that case, why don’t you come up to my house and help me pack? Plus I’ve got an envelope of stuff to hand over to you. You know, some photos and the like.”
My heart skipped a beat! I’d forgotten about those photos. I ran through the list of cronies I could call upon to go over to Hart’s house, lock his neck and grab the stash. There was only one person I knew who could pull something like that off. But did I want to go there—again?
“Patos? You still there?”
“Of course I’m still here.”
“I know you’re in London, you know. No need to pretend. How times have changed, eh? In the old days you barely made a move without calling on Uncle Calder for advice.”
“And a lot of good that advice did me! Remember: ‘Patos, it’s only $30 million. Nobody’s gonna miss it. And if they do, tell them it’s to build a church, everybody will say it’s okay, because Trinis loooove churches.’ And what about: ‘Patos, you know who I think would loooove to meet your prophetess? Benny Hinn!’ Look where that got me.”
“Whoa, Patos. Calm down, buddy. How’s about we make us a deal?”
“Between you and me, Calder, I’ve had enough of your deals.”
“Photos, Patos, pho-tos. And I should add that the Swiss bank account number I gave you is false. In fact, it isn’t even Swiss.”
“Argh! OK. Let me hear about this deal.”
“The deal is simple: you get us both aslyum. Or should that be “asyla”?”
Israel Khan was right. Hart was unintelligent. But the man knew how to play hardball.
“OK, it’s a deal. Or at least I’ll try. You know Mugabe—the man is more of a snake than Panday and Ramnath put together.”
“C’mon, Patos, you know you and Mugabe are buddies. Anyways, keep me posted. I’m not sure yet exactly where we’re headed, but it’ll be on Facebook.”
Tags: Written by Patrick
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Check how somebody change Manning name on his Wikipedia entry :rotfl:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrick_Manning
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Check how somebody change Manning name on his Wikipedia entry :rotfl:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrick_Manning
hahahaha
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:devil:
Its election year, Hart coming back after Laventille-West give PNM the deciding votes back in.
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VIDEO ..Panday still suffering from "Political Tabanca"
http://www.cbeanmedia.org/TV6NEWS_F4V/Links/panday_ramnath_vote_wit_govt_against_kamala_2010_03_05.htm
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Check how somebody change Manning name on his Wikipedia entry :rotfl:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrick_Manning
hahahaha
I wonder if that person will get into trouble with the law?
Although all that was changed are true, but still......
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Check how somebody change Manning name on his Wikipedia entry :rotfl:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrick_Manning
hahahaha
I wonder if that person will get into trouble with the law?
Although all that was changed are true, but still......
Yuh ent see the same person change Panday name to Panday-Manning?
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We have an extradition treaty with Canada??.....
Hear nah all yuh I vex no arse since last night....Hart shoulda resign a long time ago....and I dear venture to say, lest I incur the wrath of the PNMites on the forum.....Patrick Augustus Mervin Manning-Hart is THE WORST LEADER EVER TO RUN THIS COUNTRY!!!....damn arse, yuh sullying yuh party and government for what?? Eh Patrick?? What it is Calder Hart did to make you so chupidee.....
Oh wait I get it, the prophetess and/or God tell yuh that was the best thing to do....yuh cunny!!...
>:( >:( >:( :cursing: :cursing: :cursing: >:( >:( >:(
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We have an extradition treaty with Canada??.....
Hear nah all yuh I vex no arse since last night....Hart shoulda resign a long time ago....and I dear venture to say, lest I incur the wrath of the PNMites on the forum.....Patrick Augustus Mervin Manning-Hart is THE WORST LEADER EVER TO RUN THIS COUNTRY!!!....damn arse, yuh sullying yuh party and government for what?? Eh Patrick?? What it is Calder Hart did to make you so chupidee.....
Oh wait I get it, the prophetess and/or God tell yuh that was the best thing to do....yuh cunny!!...
>:( >:( >:( :cursing: :cursing: :cursing: >:( >:( >:(
Calder Hart resigned, but whey we money???
In Manning's case, when people have delusions of grandeur and believe their own hype, they surround themselves with people who promote those same delusions. Calder Hart and Pena are one and the same. Check the similarities (lying about credentials, living off other people's money, past failures, misrepresentation, thiefing..the list goes on). People like that know how to massage people's egos to get what they need to get.
And if a white man from Cyanada calling you Emperor....in Patrick's eyes...ent iz now yuh reach?... ;D
BTW....Yuh sounding like DeFosto....lol
http://www.youtube.com/v/Divi0h--_HU&hl=en_US&fs=1&
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Benny
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCF1DiqJaj8&feature=related
Supertrini
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IH9kr2okrmg&feature=related
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http://www.youtube.com/v/TcMGQWYKxAo
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The PNM has no place for Rowley or Manning.
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The PNM has no place for Rowley or Manning.
Who has the PMN groomed in the last 15 years to be the next PNM leader or future Prime Minister ??
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So ah hear Mr. Man resign effective immediately.
Resign !! that is not enough... they should shoot him and Manning and bury them in de same hole...
Take all his assets and sell all and donate the money to the poor people in T&T.
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So ah hear Mr. Man resign effective immediately.
Resign !! that is not enough... they should shoot him and Manning and bury them in de same hole...
Take all his assets and sell all and donate the money to the poor people in T&T.
A bit extreme but I understand the sentiment.
hart make he payday and gone. Mannint went to bat fro him and now he left holding tha bag like a jackass.
His own fault for being a piss poor leader. Mannig is too caught up in the politics and his only concern seems to be staying in power. As a result reasonable criticsim from the opposition and media and requests to look at HArt seriously get ignored because of teh source and not the substance.
Hopefully this political dinosaur gets his comeuppance in the next election. We know it not happening sooner, not from inside that bamsee licking institution that is the PNM.
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The PNM has no place for Rowley or Manning.
Who has the PMN groomed in the last 15 years to be the next PNM leader or future Prime Minister ??
Let me answer with a question. Who has the opposition groomed to be the next leader over the last 40 years?
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Let me answer with a question. Who has the opposition groomed to be the next leader over the last 40 years?
But listen nah...2 wrongs dont make ah right but before yuh start tuh pelt pommerac...let we see if we partna just gone on ah 5 day hiatus tuh Florida tuh clear he mind...or if he really gone fuh good...
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The PNM has no place for Rowley or Manning.
Who has the PMN groomed in the last 15 years to be the next PNM leader or future Prime Minister ??
Let me answer with a question. Who has the opposition groomed to be the next leader over the last 40 years?
could care less about the Opposition..I ask you about the current government...so i guess you have no answer..
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Resign !! that is not enough... they should shoot him and Manning and bury them in de same hole...
Take all his assets and sell all and donate the money to the poor people in T&T.
[/quote]
That is what I will call Justice
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The PNM has no place for Rowley or Manning.
Who has the PMN groomed in the last 15 years to be the next PNM leader or future Prime Minister ??
Let me answer with a question. Who has the opposition groomed to be the next leader over the last 40 years?
could care less about the Opposition..I ask you about the current government...so i guess you have no answer..
So based on your comments that you could care less about de opposition you is ah PNM backer...is only dem yuh care about. Then yuh should be asking yuhself the question den.
I have no answer, as I did not know it was the government's role to groom leaders, I thought that was a role of the education system..see longer you live more you learn thanks for the lesson!
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The PNM has no place for Rowley or Manning.
Who has the PMN groomed in the last 15 years to be the next PNM leader or future Prime Minister ??
Let me answer with a question. Who has the opposition groomed to be the next leader over the last 40 years?
could care less about the Opposition..I ask you about the current government...so i guess you have no answer..
So based on your comments that you could care less about de opposition you is ah PNM backer...is only dem yuh care about. Then yuh should be asking yuhself the question den.
I have no answer, as I did not know it was the government's role to groom leaders, I thought that was a role of the education system..see longer you live more you learn thanks for the lesson!
you trying to beat around the bush because you cant answer..i dont back parties, I back leaderships..(I can be PNM today and UNC 5 years from now)..and neither party has leaderships..and GOD forbid something happens to the Prime Minister today there is no Leader to replace him..and who fault is that..the education system ?....the simple answer to the question is "No one"...
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The PNM has no place for Rowley or Manning.
Who has the PMN groomed in the last 15 years to be the next PNM leader or future Prime Minister ??
Let me answer with a question. Who has the opposition groomed to be the next leader over the last 40 years?
could care less about the Opposition..I ask you about the current government...so i guess you have no answer..
So based on your comments that you could care less about de opposition you is ah PNM backer...is only dem yuh care about. Then yuh should be asking yuhself the question den.
I have no answer, as I did not know it was the government's role to groom leaders, I thought that was a role of the education system..see longer you live more you learn thanks for the lesson!
So should there be an emergency restructuring of the PNM hierarchy or should we look beyond the PNM and U Ain't See as political options...? Just your thoughts...!
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Listen I have supported Manning over the UNC on this side for years. I have said many times there is no evidence he was corrupt. NOW?
I have to eat crow. I am no longer convinced that he is clean!
I do think that the PNM has done much for T&T, but the corruption has undone whatever good they have accomplished.
Manning has evolved into a haughty, unapproachable and pompous man who feels he is beyond approach!
He listens to no one except his Spiritual leader ( according to all reports)and it is my opinion that he believes he has been appointed and anointed by God to rule Trinidad and Tobago. He reminds me of the French King Louis and Marie Antoinette.
I think he like Panday has reached his expiration day and he MUST GO! NOW!!!
The PNM has zero credibility and Manning all by himself has given the inept UNC much momentum and has swung public sentiment over to Kamla and Jack Warner.
Everyone here knows how I feel about Warner as it pertains to TTFF and football, BUT....Jack deserves much credit as a Parliamentarian. He is by far the very BEST PARLIAMENTARIAN that I can think of in the History of T&T!!!!
Manning even when he implements something of value to the T&T public is excoriated because he has become such a polarizing figure, people eh want to hear what he has to say, it is dismissed as shit from the time he opens his mouth.
Is Kamla a good choice for PM? I am not quick to endorse her. Not by a long shot. Dookeran? Hell no. Maybe I will lean towards a person like Orville London, but he is PNM and public sentiment is raging against the PNM, even by die hard PNMites.
T&T is in real trouble.
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True Trini boy, I could not have said it better my self.....
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Back to the old question "who we go put?"
Which is a BS question if you beleive in the reality that is life and death.
If Manning falls dead in the morning (and I hope not) the suggestion is that there is nobody to lead the country.
Anyone of the MP's could be PM from Shorty to Fatty, it have enough people to advise and guide.
But everybody still have the perception of maximum leader along the likes of Eric, Robbie, Panday and Manning and that is why we keep asking the question , it should really be, "who is the nex badjohn?" that is why TC think Jack looking good because Jack is a badjohn on his own .
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you trying to beat around the bush because you cant answer..i dont back parties, I back leaderships..(I can be PNM today and UNC 5 years from now)..and neither party has leaderships..and GOD forbid something happens to the Prime Minister today there is no Leader to replace him..and who fault is that..the education system ?....the simple answer to the question is "No one"...
I honsetly don't believe in that leadership grooming thing nah. People are either leaders or not. For a leader to push for leadership succession and nurture a true free-thinking leader within his fold takes some real balls. I also feel that the way the parties lots of people with leadership potenetial wouldn't want to get involved with either party.
After Williams death no amount of leadership grooming was making Chambers into a viable leader. As a result Robinson, a former junior leader in the PNM, end up filling the void.
The problem with our politics is that the supreme leaders are only interested in power and as some one shows a willingness to lead they try to cut them down to size. Panday do it with Kamla and Manning do it with Rowley. The only way that would have lasted is if Jack decided to become a sycophant and ignore all Panday's "inconsistencies" and that is not leadership.
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(http://hphotos-snc3.fbcdn.net/hs468.snc3/25694_644622898395_1416308_37260365_3777468_n.jpg)
:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:
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I could answer some of the questions allyuh posted dey. Who has the opposition groom? Allyuh was sleeping or what. Kamla!!!! If Patrick call election and lose. Who all yuh think will be sworn in by the President?
PNM(Patrick) is the one who has not groom the next leader. Who we go put!!!! ????? That is a PNM delema, not UNC's. They ready for action. It is not in Patrick interest to groom anybody. Ooops, it may have been Calder Hart. But Rowley cut that short. That is why I say. 2 TERMS and F---king out. A party can win as much election but the head of the part is the issue. He tends to want be a pompous(Basdeo and Patrick) king and not be a servant of the people.
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I could answer some of the questions allyuh posted dey. Who has the opposition groom? Allyuh was sleeping or what. Kamla!!!! If Patrick call election and lose. Who all yuh think will be sworn in by the President?
PNM(Patrick) is the one who has not groom the next leader. Who we go put!!!! ????? That is a PNM delema, not UNC's. They ready for action. It is not in Patrick interest to groom anybody. Ooops, it may have been Calder Hart. But Rowley cut that short. That is why I say. 2 TERMS and F---king out. A party can win as much election but the head of the part is the issue. He tends to want be a pompous(Basdeo and Patrick) king and not be a servant of the people.
Yuh clowning! UNC groomed KAMLA? The same Kamla that got demoted for Jack and Ramesh? The same Kamla that they had files on? The same Kamla that the maha guru say is a drunk and not ready?
The same Kamla that was replaced after she stuck by Panday over Dookeran?
lol
Rowley cannot win any seat in Diego Martin again, so he eh do nutten to the PNM. Most PNMies eh want Rowley, Rowley is de PNM Panday...dais all, he is the darling of the opposition not the PNM membership.
But anyway the entire discussion is moot. Manning not calling no elections now, he and the PNM going into repair mode. Start giving away things, fixing roads etc. The real test will be wether the people of T&T are politically mature enough to see through bullshit.
I looking for a cabinet shake up and movement from the back bench to the front bench.
Talk of Calder Hart not being allowed to leave T&T etc. is dotish. He eh get charged with nutten he not arrested..until den...he free so he could roll as he want.
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TC,
What difference it makes now. UNC has chosen a leader. They did one better that PNM. Their election was catankerous as hell, but I have seen worse right here in the US. As far as I have known in TT politics, I can't remember any PM grooming a successor. The closest occurance was the Doc and Robinson. And we know what happened there. The way the political parties are structured, they leave no room for an orderly succession. The PM had to dead and then the deputy go step in. Other than that PM go stay 4 and 5 terms. By that time he manipulate the party executives and they become a bunch of "yes men". Chambers became PM because Eric dead. They by-pass Kamal. Then Chambers lost to Robbie and Panday. Them fall apart. Then Abu cause Robbie to lose to Patrick. Then Patrick lose to Panday who then lost to Patrick.
That is why I say TERM LIMITS. 2 and out.
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TC,
What difference it makes now. UNC has chosen a leader. They did one better that PNM. Their election was catankerous as hell, but I have seen worse right here in the US. As far as I have known in TT politics, I can't remember any PM grooming a successor. The closest occurance was the Doc and Robinson. And we know what happened there. The way the political parties are structured, they leave no room for an orderly succession. The PM had to dead and then the deputy go step in. Other than that PM go stay 4 and 5 terms. By that time he manipulate the party executives and they become a bunch of "yes men". Chambers became PM because Eric dead. They by-pass Kamal. Then Chambers lost to Robbie and Panday. Them fall apart. Then Abu cause Robbie to lose to Patrick. Then Patrick lose to Panday who then lost to Patrick.
That is why I say TERM LIMITS. 2 and out.
Side note... Robbie lorse to back stabbing panday and his separatist cronies... defeat was inevitable...!
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Hart Resigns
http://www.youtube.com/v/tUeRfos1FW0
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TC,
What difference it makes now. UNC has chosen a leader. They did one better that PNM. Their election was catankerous as hell, but I have seen worse right here in the US. As far as I have known in TT politics, I can't remember any PM grooming a successor. The closest occurance was the Doc and Robinson. And we know what happened there. The way the political parties are structured, they leave no room for an orderly succession. The PM had to dead and then the deputy go step in. Other than that PM go stay 4 and 5 terms. By that time he manipulate the party executives and they become a bunch of "yes men". Chambers became PM because Eric dead. They by-pass Kamal. Then Chambers lost to Robbie and Panday. Them fall apart. Then Abu cause Robbie to lose to Patrick. Then Patrick lose to Panday who then lost to Patrick.
That is why I say TERM LIMITS. 2 and out.
So the PNM have leadership crisis as it pertains to internal elections? breds you will never see the bacchanal in the PNm dat you see in the UNC. NEVER! But maybe they will get their self in order and fix they constituion, where they have to have the MP's vote ofr the political leader rather than the membership!
As far as I can remmber the PNM does have they elections and chose they leader...why you say the IUNC do one better than the PNM?
The PNM's constitution allows for internal elections just like the UNC and COP...what orderly succession have to do with anything? People free to contest seats succession is for kings.
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TC,
When was the last time PNM chose a leader. The last time they chose a leader was when Chambers lost. Last time Rowley challenged Patrick he became kinder like a persona non grata in the party. It appears that nobody must challenge Patrick. Same thing with Basdeo.Is total sour grapes since he lost. After the Calder Hart issue, I have serious doubts about Patrick.
Term limits. 2 and out.
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TC,
When was the last time PNM chose a leader. The last time they chose a leader was when Chambers lost. Last time Rowley challenged Patrick he became kinder like a persona non grata in the party. It appears that nobody must challenge Patrick. Same thing with Basdeo.Is total sour grapes since he lost. After the Calder Hart issue, I have serious doubts about Patrick.
Term limits. 2 and out.
Breds PNM had internal elections a year ago. Rowley REFUSED to challenge Patrick, it was in Ghaguaramas. The Party has a constitution breds.
The PNM chooses a leader all the time, is jes that the PM usually wins. And it is done thru an election jes like de one that chose Kamla.
Rowley like to play de arse so he get licks, I eh saying Manning eh make ah mistake cutting him from the cabinet...dat was a major mistake. But Patrick get elected a PNM political leader.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JID2stfmHfc
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TC,
When was the last time PNM chose a leader. The last time they chose a leader was when Chambers lost. Last time Rowley challenged Patrick he became kinder like a persona non grata in the party. It appears that nobody must challenge Patrick. Same thing with Basdeo.Is total sour grapes since he lost. After the Calder Hart issue, I have serious doubts about Patrick.
Term limits. 2 and out.
Breds PNM had internal elections a year ago. Rowley REFUSED to challenge Patrick, it was in Ghaguaramas. The Party has a constitution breds.
The PNM chooses a leader all the time, is jes that the PM usually wins. And it is done thru an election jes like de one that chose Kamla.
Rowley like to play de arse so he get licks, I eh saying Manning eh make ah mistake cutting him from the cabinet...dat was a major mistake. But Patrick get elected a PNM political leader.
True Trini, because Rowley didn't challenge there was NO ONE ELSE in the whole ah de PNM who could challenge Manning?? And correct mih if a wrong eh, but is the system of electing a leader different from the one in the UNC?? Yuh know the one man, one vote thing is not practised in the PNM. Isn't that part of the reason why its so hard to remove Manning??
Ah wanted to ask that question on the voting thing since the UNC elections....ah trying to understand how de arse we end up with this cunny Patrick??!!....
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True Trini, because Rowley didn't challenge there was NO ONE ELSE in the whole ah de PNM who could challenge Manning?? And correct mih if a wrong eh, but is the system of electing a leader different from the one in the UNC?? Yuh know the one man, one vote thing is not practised in the PNM. Isn't that part of the reason why its so hard to remove Manning??
in the PNM each party group is allocated a delegate at the convention.
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True Trini, because Rowley didn't challenge there was NO ONE ELSE in the whole ah de PNM who could challenge Manning?? And correct mih if a wrong eh, but is the system of electing a leader different from the one in the UNC?? Yuh know the one man, one vote thing is not practised in the PNM. Isn't that part of the reason why its so hard to remove Manning??
in the PNM each party group is allocated a delegate at the convention.
I know and because this is the system, it is alleged that these delegates can be "bought".....I personally prefer the one man, one vote thing......
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I know and because this is the system, it is alleged that these delegates can be "bought".....I personally prefer the one man, one vote thing......
I don't really think that delegates get bought to be honest.
The system is somewhat self-perpetuating in the respect that it is precisely the central leadership of the party that is recruiting people to start party groups.
I think the biggest thing is that card-carrying members will always be hesitant to vote against a sitting Prime Minister. Or to run against him/her for that matter.
Rowley ran against Manning once and I believe that was during the period that they were in Opposition. Not absolutely sure though. And of course it wasn't anywhere near as nasty as this last UNC election but that probably comes down solely to Panday.
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Boy, basically until we could come up with a formula that genuinely seeks the interest of the people, we are screwed.....by all the current parties in all their different incarnations.....
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Sugar, All yuh,
Term limits. 2 and vamanos!!!!
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Hart Attorneys say he will be back in Trinidad
http://www.youtube.com/v/yyYQAAtUbd0&feature=player_embedded
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:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:
HART HOUNDED OUT
DPP to Philbert: Move swiftly on Hart probe
Anna Ramdass aramdass@trinidadexpress.com
http://www.trinidadexpress.com/index.pl/article_news?id=161605924 (http://www.trinidadexpress.com/index.pl/article_news?id=161605924)
Wednesday, March 10th 2010
Former UDeCOTT executive chairman Calder Hart was hounded out of office and the people of the country should be ashamed, Minister of Planning Emily Dick-Forde said yesterday.
Dick-Forde, who is the line minister for UDeCOTT, made the comment during the Senate’s tea break yesterday when asked about Hart’s resignation.
She said: ’Certainly Mr Hart’s resignation would have been a surprise but it also would not have been because I think if any of you as human beings would have been hounded and treated the way he has been, I think you all would understand. I think a resignation is part of normal governance, people move on, but I think the circumstances we in Trinidad and Tobago should be very ashamed of what has happened. A person, a human being has been treated very badly by us.’ ??? :o
Questioned on calls for her to step down in light of the continued controversy revolving UDeCOTT, she responded: ’Calls for me to step down? Totally unaware of that.’
Asked if Hart’s resignation was forced, she said: ’I don’t know anything about that. I see it all over the media, I do not know anything about that.’
As to what Government’s next move will be and if all members of the UDeCOTT board should resign, Dick-Forde said: ’We will deal with that in time. Mr (Michael) Annisette has answered you all very appropriately as far as I am concerned.’
Hart tendered his resignation last Saturday, after which he flew to Florida with his wife Sherrine and young daughter.
His resignation came on the heels of documents obtained by the Congress of the People (COP) which suggest a family link between Hart’s wife and directors of the Sunway company which was awarded a $368 million contract to build the Ministry of Legal Affairs Tower in Port of Spain.
Independent Senator Michael Annisette who is a member of the UDeCOTT board came to Hart’s defence yesterday.
Annisette is also a director of the National Insurance Property Development Company (NIPDEC).
He said there was no truth to reports that he would take up Hart’s position on these boards.
He said as deputy chairman of NIPDEC he might be called on to perform certain functions but he pointed out that there was a deputy chairman in place at UDeCOTT.
He said it was up to line minister Dick-Forde to take appropriate steps with respect to this issue.
Annisette said the controversy surrounding Hart and the documentary evidence was ’still up in the air’.
Reminded that there were marriage and birth certificates which showed Sherrine Hart’s family relationship to the director of the Sunway company, Annisette said: ’These are assumptions. ... I know of documents in Customs and other documents involving UDeCOTT that came out that were looking authentic and at the ending of the day when it went through the scrutiny it was not authentic. I am not here to say whether it is right or wrong, all I am simply saying let the process evolve. It is unfair to anybody to make allegations and to make suggestions until there is incontrovertible evidence.’
Asked if he spoke to Hart since he left the country, Annisette said they spoke on Sunday but he preferred to not divulge what was discussed as it was ’personal’.
Annisette said he expects Hart will return to the country.
He supported a forensic investigation into UDeCOTT, adding: ’I have no cocoa in the sun so I am not afraid.’
Both the UDeCOTT and NIPDEC boards will meet this week. These were planned before Hart’s resignation, he said.
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She said: ’Certainly Mr Hart’s resignation would have been a surprise but it also would not have been
??? ???
:rotfl:
This woman has to be a mindless zombie yes........ent she & she pm was hounding rowley just a few months ago?
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Dick-Forde for real ?
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Please... Trinidadians today are a weak people... dey taking that.
Manning squandering the money left right and center- People eh doing nutten about it.
Calder Hart guilty- People eh doing nutten about it.
Places in tnt look like it was in the 1920's- People eh doing nutten about it.
No water, Wasa was not even doing well management in regards to preparing people- People eh doing nutten about it.
Sports and Community Services on a general decline- People eh doing nutten about it.
Crime high- People eh doing nutten about it.
Punishment Low- People eh doing nutten about it.
Police Corrupt- People eh doing nutten about it.
Guns Rampant- People eh doing nutten about it.
Races Divided- People eh doing nutten about it.
Coke and Marajuana doses pass freely in we waters- People eh doing nutten about it.
Chinese Labor- People eh doing nutten about it.
Taiwanese fishing boats fishing we waters dry- People eh doing nutten about it.
Corrupt Politicians- People eh doing nutten about it.
2 Mil Flag constructed by a fireworks company- People eh doing nutten about it.
This list can go on....
Just Take what she say... we like it so
Wine Jam and Fete- if we doh have that yuh go see we in action..
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Please... Trinidadians today are a weak people... dey taking that.
Manning squandering the money left right and center- People eh doing nutten about it.
Calder Hart guilty- People eh doing nutten about it.
Places in tnt look like it was in the 1920's- People eh doing nutten about it.
No water, Wasa was not even doing well management in regards to preparing people- People eh doing nutten about it.
Sports and Community Services on a general decline- People eh doing nutten about it.
Crime high- People eh doing nutten about it.
Punishment Low- People eh doing nutten about it.
Police Corrupt- People eh doing nutten about it.
Guns Rampant- People eh doing nutten about it.
Races Divided- People eh doing nutten about it.
Coke and Marajuana doses pass freely in we waters- People eh doing nutten about it.
Chinese Labor- People eh doing nutten about it.
Taiwanese fishing boats fishing we waters dry- People eh doing nutten about it.
Corrupt Politicians- People eh doing nutten about it.
2 Mil Flag constructed by a fireworks company- People eh doing nutten about it.
This list can go on....
Just Take what she say... we like it so
Wine Jam and Fete- if we doh have that yuh go see we in action..
:applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause:
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Please... Trinidadians today are a weak people... dey taking that.
Manning squandering the money left right and center- People eh doing nutten about it.
Calder Hart guilty- People eh doing nutten about it.
Places in tnt look like it was in the 1920's- People eh doing nutten about it.
No water, Wasa was not even doing well management in regards to preparing people- People eh doing nutten about it.
Sports and Community Services on a general decline- People eh doing nutten about it.
Crime high- People eh doing nutten about it.
Punishment Low- People eh doing nutten about it.
Police Corrupt- People eh doing nutten about it.
Guns Rampant- People eh doing nutten about it.
Races Divided- People eh doing nutten about it.
Coke and Marajuana doses pass freely in we waters- People eh doing nutten about it.
Chinese Labor- People eh doing nutten about it.
Taiwanese fishing boats fishing we waters dry- People eh doing nutten about it.
Corrupt Politicians- People eh doing nutten about it.
2 Mil Flag constructed by a fireworks company- People eh doing nutten about it.
This list can go on....
Just Take what she say... we like it so
Wine Jam and Fete- if we doh have that yuh go see we in action..
:applause: :applause: :applause: :applause:
And here it is ladies and gentlemen the POST OF THE WEEK!!
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Dick-Forde for real ?
Boy I thought it couldn't get worse after Gary Hunt's "there is no price on national pride", but apparently this current bunch is quite capable of outdoing one another in the foot-in-mouth department. Whole day I just trying to keep mih blood pressure down so this is all I'll contribute on the topic....
I just waiting for the king of foot-in-mouth disease to reach back.....laaaawwwdd ah fraid to hear what will spill forth from his lips....<sighs in resignation>
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Kamla Persad-Bissessar to debate UDeCOTT’s board dismissal
Speaker of the House of Representative Barendra Sinanan has given leave to Opposition Leader, Kamla Persad-Bissessar, to debate her call for the immediate dismissal of all members of the UDeCOTT board.
That matter is to be raised at Friday's sitting of the House of Representatives. Read the rest here..http://ctntworld.com/LocalArticles.aspx?id=18894
...
Housing Minister defends Calder Hart’s departure..
Calder Hart was not forced out or fired by the Government or the ruling party. That's the assertion of UDeCOTT's line Minister Emily Gaynor-Dickford.
The Minister says Mr. Hart submitted his resignation to the government..
While media reports state that UDeCOTT's executive chairman Calder Hart was fired or asked to resign, the line Minister in charge of the corporation says that's not how it unfolded.
Read the rest here..
http://ctntworld.com/LocalArticles.aspx?id=18892
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Dick-Forde for real ?
Boy I thought it couldn't get worse after Gary Hunt's "there is no price on national pride", but apparently this current bunch is quite capable of outdoing one another in the foot-in-mouth department. Whole day I just trying to keep mih blood pressure down so this is all I'll contribute on the topic....
I just waiting for the king of foot-in-mouth disease to reach back.....laaaawwwdd ah fraid to hear what will spill forth from his lips....<sighs in resignation>
Is better they go.
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oh gawd. :o
..dick forde out do she self today with a new speech - talking about the soul of the nation....
???
anybody see it onthe news tonight?
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If Hart resigned on his own accord ah bet Manning will say he refuse to accept it and reinstate him.
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Minister says we should be ashamed of how T&T treated Calder Hart
http://www.youtube.com/watch/v/XoVp0AK3zt0
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Minister: Allegations affecting T&T's soul
Trinidad and Tobago’s soul has been affected by allegations against UDeCOTT, former chairman Calder Hart and the Government.
The ’unrelenting bombardment and actions’ which led to Calder Hart’s resignation over allegations of corrupt practices at UDeCOTT by the media and others, particularly over the past two years and intensifying in recent weeks, are meant to pre-empt the findings of the Uff Commission of Enquiry, a statement from Emily Dick-Forde’s Housing Ministry said yesterday.
The statement was meant to ’amplify’ her response during the Senate tea break on Tuesday.
Dick-Forde said then that Hart was hounded out of office, and the people of the country should be ashamed.
The bombardment of attacks, the ministry added yesterday, was intended to spread alarm and to have a man and his family, the directors of an organisation and the Government branded as ’corrupt and even criminal, with no legal process to support such statements’.
’The nation’s soul is affected by these bold infringements on a person’s right to fairness in matters of this nature. What we are witnessing today violates the procedures established in the Constitution to conduct such investigations and descends into a vigilante-style approach with a pretence at speaking for the ordinary people,’ the ministry said.
That the kind of action spurred on by people with legal qualifications betrayed the spirit of the country’s Constitution, which referred to the dignity of human beings and which must be defended for all, it was said.
’Dr Dick-Forde believes that we should be cringing from and be ashamed of what is playing out in the media rather than celebrate and agree with acts of injustice against another human being, a citizen even. Let the police do their work,’ the ministry said.
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The Police???? if it wasnt for the Rowley, Ramesh and the media we woulda never know bout the theifing.
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Dale and Tony just read out the entire press release from the Ministry and I want to get mih own personal copy so ah could frame it and admire it as the most asinine thing I ever hear coming from someone in Government......it worst than Gary Hunt's classic "national pride"....
Dick-Forde and the PM want to use their offices to preach to we, but they can both kiss my a$$!!!....I don't need either one of them to preach to me because he who is without sin cast the first stone. Is christians like Dick-Forde who turn me off from religion.....the hypocritical ones. She is a friggin hypocrite, crying shame on we over Calder Hart, but like she forget is she who sat (or stood) by the Pastor when he asked Dr. Rowley "where the money gone??!!" but when it came out that the $10M wasn't missing she and the Pastor are yet to back track....christian my a$$!!...
She build any houses since she reach?? What she doing to protect the environment?? Town and country still in a mess, what she doing to fix it?? No, since she reach she only engaging in a witch hunt on Dr. Rowley.....and now like she turn high priestess....what de a$$ we do to get these kaka holes to run we country??!!...what de a$$ we do??!!
Why de a$$ she doh resign and go and prepare she self to preach to the flock up in Guanapo??!! Look, look.....ah was really trying not to let these people raise mih blood pressure but is like they cyar help themselves.....
Soul of the nation my a$$!!.......:cursing: :cursing: :cursing: :cursing:
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She serious... my fadder company trying to bid for Udickot contracts for several years now and we getting blank even though we is the cheapest, most diverse and we is forking trinidadians... is ah shame how dey sell we out.
She has a house on the Toco/Manzanilla Rd..
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Sugar, Allyuh,
The only way Dick-Forde moving is if Patrick say so. Term limits. 2 and out!!!!!!
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The are re-running the Calder Hart investigative report tonight at 8 pm on TV 6!!!....where the techies on here??!! Ah need somebody to record this thing!!...ah need mih own personal copy!!...
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Future of UDeCOTT executives to be debated friday
http://www.youtube.com/v/tzaDABBndBk
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TNT Insider Staff | March 12, 2010 | Breaking News
Jerlean John is new UDECOTT chairman
The Prime Minister announces Calder Hart’s replacement this morning. He shocked the press by announcing that he has been in the country since Tuesday.
Jerlean John, Chief Executive Officer of the Housing Development Corporation (HDC), is the new Chairman of the controversial UDECOTT State special purpose company.
Prime Minister Patrick Manning made the announcement during a hastily called press conference at 11 a.m today, stressing that she will not be an executive chairman as her predecessor Calder Hart who resigned on Saturday.
At the conference which lasted 30 minutes, Mr Manning continued defending Hart asking “he is guilty of what?”..Read the rest ..http://www.tntinsider.com/news/03377/jerlean-john-is-new-udecott-chairman
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Calder Hart innocent until proven guilty
Calder Hart is innocent until proven guilty.
That's the word from the Minister of Information at today's rowdy Post Cabinet media briefing as reporters demanded answers on matters concerning Calder Hart's resignation and allegations of corruption.
Part of the heat involved the Information Minister attempting to fend off Newsday journalist Andre Bagoo's attack.
What Minister Parsanlal was willing to acknowledge is that the controversial Calder Hart was the hot topic on Cabinet's table..Read the rest .. http://ctntworld.com/LocalArticles.aspx?id=18958
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Minister: Allegations affecting T&T's soul
Trinidad and Tobago’s soul has been affected by allegations against UDeCOTT, former chairman Calder Hart and the Government.
The ’unrelenting bombardment and actions’ which led to Calder Hart’s resignation over allegations of corrupt practices at UDeCOTT by the media and others, particularly over the past two years and intensifying in recent weeks, are meant to pre-empt the findings of the Uff Commission of Enquiry, a statement from Emily Dick-Forde’s Housing Ministry said yesterday.
The statement was meant to ’amplify’ her response during the Senate tea break on Tuesday.
Dick-Forde said then that Hart was hounded out of office, and the people of the country should be ashamed.
The bombardment of attacks, the ministry added yesterday, was intended to spread alarm and to have a man and his family, the directors of an organisation and the Government branded as ’corrupt and even criminal, with no legal process to support such statements’.
’The nation’s soul is affected by these bold infringements on a person’s right to fairness in matters of this nature. What we are witnessing today violates the procedures established in the Constitution to conduct such investigations and descends into a vigilante-style approach with a pretence at speaking for the ordinary people,’ the ministry said.
That the kind of action spurred on by people with legal qualifications betrayed the spirit of the country’s Constitution, which referred to the dignity of human beings and which must be defended for all, it was said.
’Dr Dick-Forde believes that we should be cringing from and be ashamed of what is playing out in the media rather than celebrate and agree with acts of injustice against another human being, a citizen even. Let the police do their work,’ the ministry said.
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The Police???? if it wasnt for the Rowley, Ramesh and the media we woulda never know bout the theifing.
http://www.youtube.com/v/UPpW7xvXRsA
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"Moreover, we have the deplorable spectacle of the line Minister for UDeCOTT, Ms Emily Dick-Forde, condemning any and everyone who dared to call for an investigation into Mr Hart and preaching that our nation has lost its soul for so doing and should be ashamed for what she describes as hounding Calder Hart!’ What planet is this Minister from? The shame is on you Ms Minister. You have conducted yourself in the most high-handed and irresponsible manner that sadly now typifies the style of the Manning administration." - Kamla Persad-Bissessar
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http://www.youtube.com/watch/v/mjvG8yCdrJ8&feature=player_embedded
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From The Guardian:
Police raid Udecott and Sunway offices
Akile Simon
Published: 25 Mar 2010
Anti-corruption officers conduct investigations at Sunway offices in Port-of-Spain yesterday. Photo: David Wears
Akile Simon
Police investigating allegations of corruption involving state-owned Urban Development Corporation (Udecott) and Sunway raided the offices of the companies yesterday. Officers executed search warrants at Sunway’s St Clair Avenue, St Clair, office; David Montgomery and Chartered Accountants at 118 Gordon and Abercromby Streets, Port-of-Spain; Udecott’s Sackville Street offices and the home of a Udecott director. At the end of the exercises, police seized hundreds of financial, contractual and legal records. They also seized several computers, hard-drives, lap tops, fax machines, photo-copiers and CCTV footage from the offices.
Officers met with Udecott’s chief operations officer (COO) Neelanda Rampaul and informed her they (officers) were there to search for items listed on a warrant.
Among the items seized at Udecott were board meeting minutes, contracts and financial records relating to the company and CH Construction, which is a subsidiary of Sunway. A police source said Rampaul was co-operative during their searches. Police spent more than 10 hours at Udecott’s office. At the time of the searches, Udecott’s new executive chairman Jerlean John was not present. While at the office, officers discovered that most of the company’s financial accounts were undertaken by David Montgomery and Company Chartered Accountants, located at the corner of Gordon and Abercromby Streets, Port-of-Spain. This was the first time the chartered accounting firm’s name surfaced, following corruption allegations involving Udecott, Sunway and CH Construction.
A judicial source told the T&T Guardian a search warrant was signed by acting Chief Magistrate Mark Wellington. Several boxes containing records also were seized from the business place. The accounting firm, police said, dealt with the disbursements of billions of dollars in construction and legal contracts on behalf of Udecott, for several years. Police obtained seven warrants but only four were executed. The warrants were signed by Wellington at his chambers at the Port-of-Spain Magistrates’ Court between Tuesday afternoon and yesterday. Senior Supt Terry Young, head of ACIB, who was mandated by Acting Police Commissioner James Philbert to lead the probe, was seen at the offices, including Hart’s home, giving directives to his juniors.
The investigation is being spearheaded by both the ACIB and the Fraud Squad, headed by Young and Senior Supt Harold Phillip. From as early as 4.30 am, 60 officers assigned to the Anti-Corruption Investigations Bureau (ACIB), Special Branch, Criminal Intelligence Unit (CIU) and the Fraud Squad, first went to the Cascade home of former Udecott executive chairman, Calder Hart. However, officers were unable to execute a search warrant because no one answered the bell.
http://guardian.co.tt/news/crime/2010/03/25/police-raid-udecott-and-sunway-offices
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cool, i hope they didnt have enough time to get rid of the evidence.
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3 weeks after the fact???
steupse!!
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3 weeks after the fact???
steupse!!
3 weeks?more like 7 months....remember the esteemed AG say that hart being investigated since last september
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Enough times to cook the books, alter records etc....
(btw some report go come out soon about dem police having printer, lap top and phone from de evidence list at they home for personal use)
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(http://www.trinidadexpress.com/shared/images/2010/03/25/h1.jpg)
dem men taking sealed reams of paper as evidence oui...
dey good... :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:
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(http://www.trinidadexpress.com/shared/images/2010/03/25/h1.jpg)
dem men taking sealed reams of paper as evidence oui...
dey good... :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:
Thank you for posting this.... it emphasizes my point that some of dat go end up fuh personal use :-\
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(http://www.trinidadexpress.com/shared/images/2010/03/25/h1.jpg)
dem men taking sealed reams of paper as evidence oui...
dey good... :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:
allyuh good oui.
Is damn if you do, damn if you don't in sweet T&T eh?
Too soon, not fast enough.
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allyuh good oui.
Is damn if you do, damn if you don't in sweet T&T eh?
Too soon, not fast enough.
Nah iz only damned if yuh do take sealed blank paper.
And the raid is in no way too soon.
A raid at this point doesn't have a good chance of turning up anything useful.
Except office supplies :)
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allyuh good oui.
Is damn if you do, damn if you don't in sweet T&T eh?
Too soon, not fast enough.
Nah iz only damned if yuh do take sealed blank paper.
And the raid is in no way too soon.
A raid at this point doesn't have a good chance of turning up anything useful.
Except office supplies :)
The police that stupid ent ?
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allyuh good oui.
Is damn if you do, damn if you don't in sweet T&T eh?
Too soon, not fast enough.
I steups when I heard this last night too.......this raid should have been made since the day TSTT confirmed under oath at the Commission of Enquiry, that the fax number on the document sent to CH Development was Calder Hart's .....but ah eh blame the police, who de hell was going to challenge Manning's blue eyed boy??....
In the meantime I heard sales of shredders went up from the time the UFF Commission started.... :-X
And ah hear Hart reach the UK. Ah thought he just went Florida for a few days?? Ent it should be easy to reach Malaysia from London?? We have an extradition treaty with Malaysia??
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deleting evidence on a computer don't mean that it gone forever.. unless of course the perpetrators were diligent enough to format each hard drive/server drive 7 times over or burn the evidence altogether.
allyuh need to cool it.. because time pass for due process doesn't mean that evidence can't be uncovered if the right tools are used.
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allyuh good oui.
Is damn if you do, damn if you don't in sweet T&T eh?
Too soon, not fast enough.
I steups when I heard this last night too.......this raid should have been made since the day TSTT confirmed under oath at the Commission of Enquiry, that the fax number on the document sent to CH Development was Calder Hart's .....but ah eh blame the police, who de hell was going to challenge Manning's blue eyed boy??....
In the meantime I heard sales of shredders went up from the time the UFF Commission started.... :-X
And ah hear Hart reach the UK. Ah thought he just went Florida for a few days?? Ent it should be easy to reach Malaysia from London?? We have an extradition treaty with Malaysia??
First of all, those look like boxes to me and not sealed reams of paper..say what.
Secondly, you don't just rush in after you find a fax number on a piece of paper. The AG said an investigation was initiated since last year. Does anyone know what that investigation has gleaned? I like how we have all the forensic people here, along with the seasoned investigators.
In the US and UK they take years sometimes before an arrest is made or documents etc are seized.
Let us wait and see what happens.
allyuh real good in trute.
As I said is damn if you do and damned if you don't.
I am reminded of when the amnesty papers for ABu Bakr turned up.. after all were supposedly destroyed..who was responsible for helping him get free again?
ahhhhhh!
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no matter what u cook, a true forensic investigator will still find foul play.
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Like I read on the Guardian. Enough time to hide evidence. erase info from desktop, etc. phoooweee
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no matter what u cook, a true forensic investigator will still find foul play.
The last good one Trinidad had passed away 2 Christmases ago.
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Like I read on the Guardian. Enough time to hide evidence. erase info from desktop, etc. phoooweee
Like i said before, yuh cant erase info from desktop without going through some lengths.. and in most cases, its difficult to undertake that without arising some suspicion in house... which is why taking those resources as evidence always makes alot of sense.
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de only thing dey go report if they find it.... is if de Harts have a sex tape..... daiz all...!
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deleting evidence on a computer don't mean that it gone forever.. unless of course the perpetrators were diligent enough to format each hard drive/server drive 7 times over or burn the evidence altogether.
allyuh need to cool it.. because time pass for due process doesn't mean that evidence can't be uncovered if the right tools are used.
there's technology that goes in layer after layer and recoups most (if not all data), even after formatting. Takes time and you must have the tools.. but if they really want to find info they will.
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deleting evidence on a computer don't mean that it gone forever.. unless of course the perpetrators were diligent enough to format each hard drive/server drive 7 times over or burn the evidence altogether.
allyuh need to cool it.. because time pass for due process doesn't mean that evidence can't be uncovered if the right tools are used.
there's technology that goes in layer after layer and recoups most (if not all data), even after formatting. Takes time and you must have the tools.. but if they really want to find info they will.
In the same way it can be found, it can also be completely erased.
There are programs that replace the data that was there, without formatting.
You cannot recover data after you run programs like this.
Look up "Secure Erase."
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deleting evidence on a computer don't mean that it gone forever.. unless of course the perpetrators were diligent enough to format each hard drive/server drive 7 times over or burn the evidence altogether.
allyuh need to cool it.. because time pass for due process doesn't mean that evidence can't be uncovered if the right tools are used.
there's technology that goes in layer after layer and recoups most (if not all data), even after formatting. Takes time and you must have the tools.. but if they really want to find info they will.
In the same way it can be found, it can also be completely erased.
There are programs that replace the data that was there, without formatting.
You cannot recover data after you run programs like this.
Look up "Secure Erase."
yeah but the point is... who going thru all dat?
most people think a simple delete is all it takes. even with email, it does always shock me how people at the most senior levels would run personal correspondence thru work email and think they safe by deleting it.
someone have to be blatantly fraudelent and corrupt to undertake a project to wipe clean.. and to be able to do that, more likely than not you need to have plenty other parties like the IT and accounting departments complicit in the job.. not exactly easy to do unless everybody on board with the corruption from go.
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deleting evidence on a computer don't mean that it gone forever.. unless of course the perpetrators were diligent enough to format each hard drive/server drive 7 times over or burn the evidence altogether.
allyuh need to cool it.. because time pass for due process doesn't mean that evidence can't be uncovered if the right tools are used.
there's technology that goes in layer after layer and recoups most (if not all data), even after formatting. Takes time and you must have the tools.. but if they really want to find info they will.
In the same way it can be found, it can also be completely erased.
There are programs that replace the data that was there, without formatting.
You cannot recover data after you run programs like this.
Look up "Secure Erase."
yeah but the point is... who going thru all dat?
most people think a simple delete is all it takes. even with email, it does always shock me how people at the most senior levels would run personal correspondence thru work email and think they safe by deleting it.
someone have to be blatantly fraudelent and corrupt to undertake a project to wipe clean.. and to be able to do that, more likely than not you need to have plenty other parties like the IT and accounting departments complicit in the job.. not exactly easy to do unless everybody on board with the corruption from go.
now suppose it have ah udecott exec on dis board ;D alyuh tell all he need to know aready ;) ;D..........jus need ah police officer to bribe :devil: :angel:
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Peong I'd be careful by giving much faith in those programs (I eh doubting fully, cause I eh know much about that one). Though I can't comment on this further, I've seen with my own eyes what competent law enforcement have available to them when it comes to data recovery.
And as dinho pointed out..email leaves a bitch of a trail as well.
Does anyone here expect anything concrete or incriminating revealed from this?
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Peong I'd be careful by giving much faith in those programs (I eh doubting fully, cause I eh know much about that one). Though I can't comment on this further, I've seen with my own eyes what competent law enforcement have available to them when it comes to data recovery.
And as dinho pointed out..email leaves a bitch of a trail as well.
Does anyone here expect anything concrete or incriminating revealed from this?
Just have to use it to deflect attention from other things, look like yuh making headway in recovering money, making arrests whatever and yuh safe...dais a good plan right dey.
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Watch how Patos have we.....just so, just so he hit we the election talk and ALL ah we forget Calder Hart....well so far the police went by he house to execute ah serach warrant, but like the police doh read the news because surprise, surprise Calder wasn't home.... ::)
Then the police say they want to talk to Calder but cyar get him. The AG on the other hand telling we whenever the police ready to talk to Calder they could find him....hhhmmm.... :thinking:
Forgive mih Mr AG if I'm a bit skeptical......
Anywho, Patos nice try but we eh forget yuh favourite imported son....
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UFF: PUBLIC PURSE WAS AT RISK
By Andre Bagoo Tuesday, April 6 2010
click on pic to zoom in
« prev photo next photo »
THE UDECOTT board was guilty of a “dereliction of duty” and “knowingly exposed the public purse to a grave risk” by failing to question the award of a $368 million contract to CH Development/Sunway Construction (Caribbean) Limited for the Ministry of Legal Affairs Tower, the chairman of the Commission of Inquiry into Udecott, Professor John Uff QC, has found.
In his final Report, which was submitted to President George Maxwell Richards last week and published exclusively on Easter Sunday by the Sunday Newsday, Uff notes that even without consideration of the emergence of family links between former Udecott executive chairman Calder Hart and Sunway, the board’s approval of the award of the contract was unacceptable. In relation to Udecott’s decision to award the contract to CH Development/Sunway, which was said to be a subsidiary of the Malaysian firm Sunway Construction Bhd (SunCon), Uff concludes that no satisfactory answers have been given as to why:
...a letter of award dated April 28, 2005, had been sent to both parent company SunCon and CH Development when it was only CH Development that had tendered;
...the Udecott board failed to demand a parent company guarantee from CH Development after it changed its name to Sunway Construction (Caribbean) Limited, in the face of its own resolution of November 8, 2004 that care must be taken to obtain parent company guarantees;
...the Udecott board ignored its own tender rules to award the contract to CH Development, when such rules would have disqualified the company because the company had no track record and did not have VAT, NIB and PAYE certificates;
“It remains inexplicable that the Udecott board should have so neglected their own resolution on November 2004 and overlooked the clear and obvious requirement for an enforceable parent company guarantee,” Uff notes. “In this regard, the explanations offered by Mr Calder Hart were nothing to the point. Neither he nor the board could have seriously thought that they were...dealing with the Sunway parent company.”
“The inescapable conclusion is that the Udecott board knowingly exposed the public purse to grave risk of non-performance by the Sunway subsidiary with no available recourse,” Uff finds. “The fact that Sunway Construction (Caribbean) Limited ultimately performed in relation to the Government Campus Plaza in a manner comparable to the other principal contractors engaged there goes no way to mitigate the seriousness of the unexplained dereliction of duty.”
“Udecott thus seriously and knowingly breached its own board resolution,” Uff continued. Alluding to the board’s defence that it had made a commercial decision and had taken reasonable steps to get a guarantee (which he deemed inadequate) Uff notes, “Commercial obligations are not satisfied by taking ‘all reasonable steps’ but by being performed. By continuing to contest the incontestable, Udecott does itself no service.”
But further, in focussing his attention on the Sunway contract, Uff notes that Hart, who at the time of the award of contract was Udecott chairman and not executive chairman, appeared to overreach his powers in order to facilitate a bid by CH Development.
Uff notes that CH Development was incorporated in Trinidad and Tobago on October 19, 2004, as a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Malaysian parent company Sunway Construction Bhd (SunCon). Yet, a mere six days later, the company wrote to Udecott, seeking to be pre-qualified to bid on the Ministry of Legal Affairs Tower project in downtown Port-of-Spain.
The project manager, Turner Construction International LLC did not recommend that CH Development be pre-qualified. It recommended that the Mayalsian parent company, a separate legal entity, be pre-qualified on the basis of its reported track record.
On November 8, 2004, the Udecott board pre-qualified the Malaysian parent company Suncon and issued a special directive that where foreign firms incorporate subsidiary companies within Trinidad and Tobago, “care must be taken to ensure that the parent company is contractually responsible for the performance of all duties...of the subsidiary company.”
On January 31, 2005, CH Development, and not the parent company that had been pre-qualified, submitted a tender to Udecott. A tender evaluation report prepared by Derek Outridge of QES and Associates Limited found that all tenderers had “complied substantially with the requirements of the tender instructions” even as three firms, including CH Development, did not have NIS, BIR and VAT certificates.
The two lowest bidders for the project, Hafeez Karamath Limited ($301 million) and Johnston International Limited ($346 million) were ruled out by Outridge. He argued that Karamath’s workload was heavy and that JIL’s workload would be heavy if the firm was to receive the contract for another Udecott project, the Chancery Lane project in San Fernando.
On April 5, 2005, the Udecott board “agreed with the recommendation of the tender evaluation committee that a contract be awarded to CH Development and Construction Ltd (Sunway)” and the next day sought approval for the award from the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance.
“This designation of the company was potentially misleading as the board of Udecott had earlier been quite clear about the distinction between a foreign parent and a local subsidiary company,” Uff observes.
On April 28, 2005, a letter was sent by Udecott, addressed to both Sunway Construction Bhd (the Malaysian parent company) and CH Development, stating that, “your tender dated January 31, 2005, has been accepted.” Copies of the letter bore Hart’s personal fax number and his name.
An analysis of a fax trail on the letter showed that it was sent by Udecott to Hart’s personal fax machine at his then residence at 6 De Lima Road Cascade, then sent from Hart’s fax machine to Sunway and then from Sunway back to Udecott. Additionally, correspondence throughout the pre-qualification and tendering process had been directed to Hart, then non-executive chairman. Uff also found that the appearance of Hart’s fax number on CH Development correspondence remains unexplained.
“Mr Calder Hart’s direct involvement with tenderers, in his capacity as chairman, is unusual to say the least,” Uff finds. He notes that Winston Agard, the CEO, deposed that he was unaware of CH Development’s application for pre- qualification.
“The Commissioners consider that the decision to award the contract to CH Development was questionable; but the decision is also to be seen as one of a number of separate events indicative of a determination on the part of the chairman, Mr Calder Hart, that the contract was to be awarded to CH Development,” Uff finds. “That intention must have become apparent to others within Udecott by April 2005, if not much earlier. We have observed elsewhere that Mr Calder Hart exercised a degree of influence over the staff of Udecott beyond what could be regarded as normal.”
Uff further notes that the desire to have the contract go to CH Development could not be justified.
“The tender of CH Development was some $67 million higher than the lowest tender, from HKL, and $22 million higher than that of Johnston International Ltd. These factors, combined with evidence of links between Hart and Sunway which later emerged, led Uff to recommend a police probe of his report.
http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/0,118575.html
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UFF: NUGFW land deal needs investigating
Tuesday, April 6 2010
THE SALE of former State lands at the Real Spring, Valsayn, housing project by the National Union of Government and Federated Workers (NUGFW) at a profit to Udecott calls for investigation, chairman of the Commission of Inquiry into Udecott, Professor John Uff finds.
In a Report presented to President George Maxwell Richards on March 29, which was published on Easter Sunday, April 4, exclusively by Sunday Newsday, Uff highlights the land transaction which, in his view, calls for explanation. “The Cabinet, during (former housing minister Dr Keith Rowley’s) tenure as minister of housing agreed to sell the land at a greatly reduced price to the NUGFW to facilitate the construction of low-cost housing on behalf of the Union,” Uff notes.
The sale to NUGFW, which took place in February 2004, had a price tag of $2.3 million for nine hectares of land. However, “the union took the decision to re-sell the land to Udecott at a price of approximately $7.5 million.”
“No information has been volunteered as to whether the windfall profit realised by the Union is still held in their account, and if so on what terms,” Uff observes. “The Commissioners were not provided with any rationale for the re-sale of the land. This requires further investigation.”
Senator Michael Annisette, who held shares in the NUGFW holding company that sold the land, is a Udecott director
http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/0,118576.html
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Either Khan or Hart committed perjury
Tuesday, April 6 2010
click on pic to zoom in
Carl Khan...
EITHER FORMER Udecott executive chairman Calder Hart or Carl Khan, the ex-husband of Hart’s Malaysian-born wife Sherrine, committed the criminal offence of perjury, chairman of the Commission of Inquiry into Udecott Professor John Uff QC finds in his final Report submitted last week.
In the Report, which was published exclusively on Easter Sunday by the Sunday Newsday and is due to be tabled in the Senate today, Uff notes that conflicting evidence was submitted to him at his inquiry on the issue of whether or not Hart had family links to a Malaysian company awarded a $368 million contract for the Ministry of Legal Affairs Tower.
Uff notes that, in a first statement, Hart said, “I take this opportunity to categorically refute and condemn as false and mischievous any allegations that I have any family connections with Sunway or CH Development & Construction Ltd.” In a second statement, Hart further stated: “For my part, I reassert that neither I nor any member of my family has or ever had any shares or interest in Sunway or in any of its subsidiary companies.”
However, Uff notes, Khan came forward, deposing that two men once listed as Sunway directors, Lee Hup Ming and Ng Chin Poh, were related to Mrs Sherrine Hart. “Counsel for Mr Calder Hart did not take the opportunity to cross-examine Mr Khan when this was offered,” Uff observes.
“The testimony of Mr Khan is directly in contrast to the evidence of Mr Calder Hart.”.
“The Commissioners take the view that it is inappropriate for them to decide which evidence is to be preferred because the inquiry is not a court of law. The consequence of such a decision is that one of the two witnesses is likely to have committed the criminal offence of perjury,” Uff finds
Police, including officers of the Anti-Corruption Investigations Bureau, have already begun an investigation into Hart.
Uff rejected arguments made by Hart’s lawyer Devesh Maharaj and Frank Solomon SC that Khan had attempted to bring Mrs Hart’s reputation “into disrepute”.
“There is no evidence whatsoever that Mr Khan was motivated by anything other than a desire to place the true facts before the Commission. If Mr Khan had any motive beyond that of stating what he believed to be the truth, it was not to bring Mr Hart’s wife into disrepute; it is the conduct of Mr Hart that is in issue here,” Uff finds.
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...the Udecott board ignored its own tender rules to award the contract to CH Development, when such rules would have disqualified the company because the company had no track record and did not have VAT, NIB and PAYE certificates;
I've heard about 'paper' companies being awarded contracts but a paper company without papers. NAH ! That is racket.
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...the Udecott board ignored its own tender rules to award the contract to CH Development, when such rules would have disqualified the company because the company had no track record and did not have VAT, NIB and PAYE certificates;
I've heard about 'paper' companies being awarded contracts but a paper company without papers. NAH ! That is racket.
Boy I followed that Uff Commission fairly closely and I tell you, the Police should have moved on Hart and UDeCOTT a long time ago.....these things were coming out under oath, so why it wasn't done I'll never know....now the police cyar find Hart but the AG says otherwise......steups...bunch of jokers....
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WEntire board of UdeCott fired except for Jerlean John.
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WEntire board of UdeCott fired except for Jerlean John.
About time....shameless scumbags!!...
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A day late and a dollar short
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remember when all this had started, anisette said that he would've retired if any wrong doing came out of the inquiry, so did he resign or was he fired?
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WEntire board of UdeCott fired except for Jerlean John.
Ya wish is meh command ;D
Udecott board fired
RICHARD LORD
Published: 7 Apr 2010
The Government is giving itself two weeks to reconstitute the board of directors of State-owned Urban Development Corporation of T&T (Udecott). Well-placed sources made this revelation last night, after the Government sacked the four remaining members of the old Calder Hart-led board. The sources said a full board should be in place, under Chair Jearlean John, within the next fortnight. John was appointed last month after a hasty resignation by the controversial Hart. Attorney General John Jeremie earlier yesterday laid the bulky report of the Uff Commission of Enquiry into the Construction Sector and Udecott in the Senate.
Jeremie told legislators the board would be replaced, with only the recently appointed chairman Jearlean John being retained. Jeremie said Prime Minister Patrick Manning yesterday issued the directive, following the presentation of the Uff report. The sacked directors are vice-chairman Dr Krishna Bahadoorsingh, Senator Michael Annisette, Wendell Dottin and Anthony Cherry. Cabinet yesterday met in special session, at which the Uff report was discussed at length. “As a result, Mr President, Cabinet will now move to reconstitute the board of directors of Udecott,” Jeremie told the Senate, explaining that John would be kept in the chair.
“The existing members have been thanked for their services...A reconstituted board should be in place in short order,” he said.
The long-awaited report slammed Udecott on several public projects, including the thorny Ministry of Legal Affairs towers in Port-of-Spain.
The Uff team recommended that that matter be turned over to the police for investigation. That matter pertains to the award of a $368 million contract to CH Development, subsequently renamed Sunway Construction.
The Uff Commission also recommended an investigation into certain packages of the contract for construction of the Brian Lara Stadium i Tarouba.
Among other recommendations is that there be an audit into the conduct of all Udecott’s senior staff and directors in the period 2004 to 2009, as to their involvement in errors and omissions concerning the Brian Lara Stadium project. The report listed 91 firm and direct recommendations. Udecott directors have repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and had refused to resign, despite several requests from the political opposition and other critics. Government officials also strongly supported the retention of the directors, saying they had done nothing wrong.
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...the Udecott board ignored its own tender rules to award the contract to CH Development, when such rules would have disqualified the company because the company had no track record and did not have VAT, NIB and PAYE certificates;
I've heard about 'paper' companies being awarded contracts but a paper company without papers. NAH ! That is racket.
Boy I followed that Uff Commission fairly closely and I tell you, the Police should have moved on Hart and UDeCOTT a long time ago.....these things were coming out under oath, so why it wasn't done I'll never know....now the police cyar find Hart but the AG says otherwise......steups...bunch of jokers....
What police ?? TNT need ah state police force like the FBI and scotland yard tuh deal with that kinda crime, and this agency should under the authority of the president and not the ministry of NS.
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...the Udecott board ignored its own tender rules to award the contract to CH Development, when such rules would have disqualified the company because the company had no track record and did not have VAT, NIB and PAYE certificates;
I've heard about 'paper' companies being awarded contracts but a paper company without papers. NAH ! That is racket.
Boy I followed that Uff Commission fairly closely and I tell you, the Police should have moved on Hart and UDeCOTT a long time ago.....these things were coming out under oath, so why it wasn't done I'll never know....now the police cyar find Hart but the AG says otherwise......steups...bunch of jokers....
What police ?? TNT need ah state police force like the FBI and scotland yard tuh deal with that kinda crime, and this agency should under the authority of the president and not the ministry of NS.
Yuh ever heard about SAUTT?
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SCG, ZHANG GOT $2B IN PROJECTS FROM UDECOTT
By Andre Bagoo Sunday, July 4 2010
WHILE his company was at work on billion-dollar Udecott projects, Michael Zhang, managing director of Chinese firm SCG International (Trinidad and Tobago), received a private cut out of the work at the Ministry of Legal Affairs project in Port-of-Spain from Sunway Construction Caribbean Limited, the controversial Malaysian company now under police probe for alleged links to former Udecott chairman Calder Hart.
SCG was hand-picked by Udecott to work on the $244 million Prime Minister’s Residence and Diplomatic Centre as well as the $900 million National Academies for the Performing Arts in north and south Trinidad. The company was also awarded the contract for the $460 million Ministry of Education Tower project on St Vincent Street, Port-of-Spain. SCG has also been given a $150 million contract for the upgrade of the South Terminal of the Piarco International Airport project and other contracts.
Combined with the $180 million contract for the police stations and the $44 million Chaguanas administrative complex, companies connected with Zhang alone have been tied to an estimated total of $2 billion in Udecott work.
Zhang, who is said to be Chinese, was quietly awarded a private sub-contract on the Legal Affairs project by Sunway through his own company, Times Construction Company Limited, to do work on the $368 million skyscraper project in downtown Port-of-Spain, according to documents.
The disclosure is just one in a series of findings unearthed by a Sunday Newsday investigation into Zhang’s links with Udecott. That investigation has revealed that while SCG and Zhang worked on and bid for Udecott projects, Zhang:
* received work off of the controversial $368 million Ministry of Legal Affairs Tower contract awarded to Sunway, a company with alleged family ties to Hart;
* helmed SCG when the company received a $180 million contract for the construction of five police stations just 12 days shy of the 2010 General Elections and after Udecott staff came under some pressure from the Ministry of National Security to get the contracts out;
* shared some responsibility, through his company Times Construction Company Limited, for failing to give Chinese worker Xia Deyun, safety training which could have prevented Deyun’s worksite death at the site of the Ministry of Legal Affairs Tower on January 29, 2008;
* is tied to companies that have received more than $2 billion in Udecott projects.
The findings, gathered over months from confidential State documents, interviews, Freedom of Information Act applications lodged by the Joint Consultative Council (JCC), companies searches and other public documents, come amidst reports of a police investigation into SCG’s Udecott projects and amidst ongoing controversy surrounding the construction, and now looting, of the controversial church at the Heights of Guanapo, a project to which Zhang’s SCG has been tied.
The police last month raided the SCG offices at Keate Street, Port-of-Spain and this month seized SCG documents from Udecott, the powerful state enterprise under probe for its projects.
In relation to the $368 million Ministry of Legal Affairs Tower project, Sunway awarded Zhang’s Times sub-contracting work, according to the findings of a confidential report produced by the Occupational Health and Safety Authority and Agency (OSHA) which was obtained by Sunday Newsday.
The OSHA report, into the work-site death of Chinese worker Xia Deyun on January 29, 2008, revealed that, “Mr Xia Deyun was employed as a multi-skilled worker for Times Construction Company Limited.” The document, dated February 11, 2008, almost two years after Udecott awarded the Ministry of Legal Affairs contract to Sunway, noted, “Times Construction was a subcontracted company of Sunway Construction (Caribbean) Limited. Times Construction has been in operation approximately one year and six months in Trinidad and Tobago.” The OSHA report found that Times had failed to give Deyun adequate safety training prior to his death.
Companies registry checks done by Sunday Newsday revealed that Michael Zhang was the incorporator of Times Construction Company Limited, which was incorporated on November 25, 2004. An annual return dated November 27, 2009, lists Zhang as a director and shareholder of the company, alongside Zhuo Feng Ou. Zhang is listed as a “civil engineer” resident at Benbow Drive, Westmoorings, in the Times documents.
Further checks revealed that during the hearings of the Uff Commission of Inquiry, Times Construction Company Limited was said by the President of the JCC Winston Riley to have been awarded a $44 million contract by Udecott for work on a Chaguanas administrative complex.
The $368 million Ministry of Legal Affairs project was awarded to Sunway, a firm on whose board a brother and brother-in-law of Mrs Sherrine Hart, wife of Calder Hart, allegedly acted as directors.
A Udecott official said on Friday, that the company was unaware of the details of the Sunway contract to Zhang’s company Times Construction Limited. Zhang did not respond to queries about his company, Times, on Friday.
However in an interview with Sunday Newsday almost two years ago in June 2008 at SCG’s Keate Street, Port-of-Spain, offices, Zhang said the issue of his company was a private matter. Asked if he thought a questionable conflict arose between his private company Times and SCG, Zhang said: “Not really, there’s a different management and I don’t think (there is) a law against a person having more than one company.”
Zhang, who says he is originally from Shanghai but has lived at various locations in the Caribbean such as Barbados and Antigua for the last 13 years, added, “This is something that I feel is private…I’ve been here for eight years already. I used to have a company before SCG: Times Construction Company Limited. This is a personal development.”
But in addition to the Udecott work given to his company via Sunway, Zhang’s SCG was the recipient of a Udecott contract for police stations across northern Trinidad in Maracas Bay, St Joseph, Besson Street, Maracas/St Joseph and St Clair in May, days before the General Election.
Documents obtained from the Ministry of National Security now disclose that SCG got a letter of award for the police stations dated March 19, 2010, two weeks after Hart resigned. Mere days before the General Election, and some weeks after the Udecott board resigned, the contracts were formally signed on May 12.
A Udecott official said that it was in Udecott’s interest to stick with the March letters of award, even though they had been signed under a later discredited board. The official revealed that there was some degree of pressure being exerted from the Ministry of National Security to have the contracts go through.
“The client (Ministry of National Security) were asking about this because they had given Udecott money to start the police stations. They wanted the job to be done. We were also advised as to the potential legal danger of not fulfilling the letters of award,” the official said.
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SCG, ZHANG GOT $2B IN PROJECTS FROM UDECOTT
By Andre Bagoo Sunday, July 4 2010
WHILE his company was at work on billion-dollar Udecott projects, Michael Zhang, managing director of Chinese firm SCG International (Trinidad and Tobago), received a private cut out of the work at the Ministry of Legal Affairs project in Port-of-Spain from Sunway Construction Caribbean Limited, the controversial Malaysian company now under police probe for alleged links to former Udecott chairman Calder Hart
What the hell !
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Bank foils US$6M Udecott fraud attempt
By Nalinee Seelal Sunday, September 12 2010
click on pic to zoom inAn attempt by a person or persons at State-owned Urban Development Company of Trinidad and Tobago (Udecott) to defraud the company of US $6 million (approximately TT $38 million) was foiled on Monday September 6 after questions were raised by the First Citizens Bank.
Officers of the Anti-Corruption Investigations Bureau (ACIB) were called in and the matter is being thoroughly investigated. So far two signatories to the wire transfer who are senior managers at Udecott have claimed that they know nothing about authorising this transaction. Yesterday Attorney General Anand Ramlogan confirmed that he had submitted a request to the ACIB to probe the attempt to defraud Udecott and said, “I have referred the matter to the ACIB and I intend to get to the bottom of this, after this attempted million dollar fraud, and let the chips fall where they may.” In his letter to the ACIB which Sunday Newsday was able to obtain it stated:
“Your urgent attention is requested to investigate an attempted fraud which occurred between Thursday 2nd September 2010 and Monday 6th September 2010 concerning a wire transfer of funds from a Udecott account at First Citizens Bank, St Vincent Street, Port-of-Spain.
The facts as known at this time are as follows:
(i) On Monday September 6 2010, First Citizens Bank (FCB) communicated with individuals at Udecott’s to confirm instructions for a wire transfer from Udecott to Putuo Ocean Fortune Limited in the amount of US$6,232,650.00. A copy of the wire transfer request letter was attached;
(ii) Upon enquiry into the matter by persons in the Finance department of Udecott and the purported signatories on the alleged wire transfer document it was realised that no such document was prepared by Udecott staff acting in the discharge of their functions and moreover that the document was not signed by the two individuals who appeared as the signatories. The document which was presented to FCB by facsimile transmission only and since ordered to be cancelled was therefore a forgery;
(iii) On closer examination of the document Udecott personnel are of the view that the document was pasted together using components from copies of one or more genuine documents. The source document from which the signatures of Mr Richard Freeman and Mr. Winston Chin Fong (the signatories) were lifted/copied has been identified. This document was an August 26 2010 wire transfer request made to Citicorp Merchant Bank;
(iv) Other markings such as the fax validation details on the forged document also indicate that it was a forgery;
(v) The fact that the August 26 2010 document issued to Citicorp was used in the attempted fraud strongly indicates that Udecott personnel who may have had access to this document were involved. In addition a certain amount of knowledge of Udecott’s banking details must also have been known to the perpetrators. In addition the account on which the wire transfer request was made is the one account with available funds to make this transfer;
(vi) The named beneficiary is not known to Udecott and there are no pending invoices for the beneficiary.
We enclose herewith the following documents for your perusal:
a. Faxed wire transfer request purportedly from Udecott to First Citizens Bank dated September 2 2010 marked “1”
b. Email from First Citizens Bank to Udecott dated September 6 2010 requesting confirmation of wire transfer request marked “2”
c. Wire transfer request from Udecott to Citicorp Merchant Bank dated August 26th 2010 bearing the signatures that were lifted marked “3”
The relevant officers of Udecott are prepared to give a statement if so required.
In the circumstances your assistance and co-operation to deal with this matter is requested.”
The document is signed by AG Anand Ramlogan.
According to police sources on Monday September 6, Richard Freeman Executive Manager Legal and Regulatory Services at Udecott received a call from First Citizens Bank asking him if he was aware of a wire transfer of US6,232,650 to Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation for the benefit of Putuo Ocean Fortune Limited which is located in Shanghai, China. Freeman reportedly told the bank that based on his own checks Udecott did not have any financial or business dealing with this company and any wire transfer would be deemed illegal. The fraudulent document now in the hands of the police which authorised the wire transfer has the fax number of Udecott and bore Freeman’s signature as well as that of another manager. The documents which were obtained by Sunday Newsday revealed the account number of the recipient of the funds as A/C#400-4679763-88.
The second letter was sent by FCB to various Udecott personnel asking them to “Please confirm wire transfer from Udecott to Putuo Ocean Fortune Limited in the amount of USD 6,232,658.00”.
Police sources revealed that the fraudulent document may be the work of persons at Udecott and Interpol is being brought in to assist in this high level probe which may involve assistance from the police in the district of Putuo, China. Yesterday Chairman of Udecott, Jerlean John, told Sunday Newsday that she had been advised of the issue. According to police sources, records from Udecott have so far indicated that Udecott never conducted any business with this company and the First Citizens Bank has been asked to do a check to ascertain if any previous wire transfers were done on behalf of Udecott for Putuo Ocean Fortune Limited. Sunday Newsday also understands that line Minister for Udecott, Mary King, was last week informed of the attempt to defraud Udecott of the large sum of money and an interim report was submitted to her. Udecott is now the subject of an ongoing probe by Government where it is alleged that billions of dollars belonging to the State remain unaccounted for. Up to yesterday the company was without a board, a Chief Executive Officer, a Chief Operating Officer, a legal corporate officer. Recently five senior managers of Udecott were sent on suspension on full pay pending an investigation into the operations of Udecott.
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It's very possible that those guys got caught this time alone and other transactions could have slipped under the radar.
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It's very possible that those guys got caught this time alone and other transactions could have slipped under the radar.
ENTTTTTTT
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UPP Gov't Recovers Over EC$32M, Several ALP Leaders Under Criminal Cloud
Submitted by UPP Team on 10 February 2009 - 5:06pm
In a historic development, your UPP Government has recovered over EC$32 million stolen from the Government of Antigua & Barbuda by the previous ALP regime and their corrupt cronies. This comprehensive and independent forensic report conducted by Bob Lindquist opens the door to criminal charges against several ALP politicians. Attorney General Justin Simon released the following statement:
Attorney General Simon's comments!
Shortly after this Administration took office, I informed you by way of a Press Statement that the government had commissioned a financial forensic investigation and had secured the services of Mr. Robert Lindquist who had himself led like-investigations in Trinidad and Tobago where over Seven Million US Dollars of illegal payments to public officials had been recovered, and that he was instrumental in the arrests and prosecutions of persons involved in the Piarco International Airport scandal in Trinidad.
It has been long in coming, but I can now advise you, the patient citizens and residents, that I now have in hand Mr. Lindquist's complete and comprehensive report on the IHI Debt Repayment Scheme. The Report traces the payment by government from December 1996 of the monthly sum of US$403,334 out of the consumption tax revenue paid by West Indies Oil Company to the various persons in receipt of these monies, with details of the companies through which the monies were sent, to what bank accounts, in which countries and how these monies were finally disbursed. These monthly sums were paid out of government funds pursuant to an irrevocable letter of instructions right up until February 2006, when I obtained an Injunction from the High Court in Antigua and Barbuda stopping the continuance of the payments, and freezing the bank account here in Antigua of an associated Florida company called Debt Settlement Administrators LLC.
It was a gigantic conspiracy engineered and effected by persons in high places to rob this country of millions of dollars right up to the year 2021, a burden that would be carried by your children and your children's children. Consider this. These monthly payments were, by an Agreement dated September 11 1997, to be made over a period of 25 years beginning December 31 1996 (retrospectively nine (9) months before the Agreement was signed) and would have amounted to an aggregate payment of US$121,000,200. Out of that monthly sum of US$403,334 coming out of the Government Treasury, only US$199,740.25 would be legitimately paid to IHI Japan amounting to an aggregate sum of US$59,922,075 over the 25 years. In simple arithmetical terms, US$61,078,125 in excess of the total sum due IHI Japan would have been misappropriated out of the Treasury and gone 'ahgwasa' over that 25 year period.
You will recall that in March 2006 I had advised by way of Press Statement that as Attorney General I had, on behalf of the Government, filed in the High Court of Antigua and Barbuda a civil claim in respect of the IHI matter for special damages in the sum of US$14,414,904 plus interest as well as general damages and exemplary damages for fraudulent misrepresentation and misfeasance in public office. The substantive Defendants in the claim are: Lester Bryant Bird, Asot Michael MP, Bellwood Services S.A. a Panamanian company, Patrick A. Michael Co. Ltd. an Antigua and Barbuda company, Bruce Rappaport, IHI Debt Settlement Company Ltd. a Hong Kong company, and Debt Settlement Administrators LLC of Florida.
This morning I have caused to be served on all the defendants, through their respective local Counsel, a Notice of Discontinuance which will be filed in the High Court in respect of two of the defendants: Bruce Rappaport and his Hong Kong company IHI Debt Settlement Company Ltd. The effect of this notice is to inform the court and seek the court's permission to discontinue the civil claim against these two defendants only; the claim will continue to proceed against the other six substantial defendants and we expect that process to move speedily towards a hearing date from here on.
The reason for discontinuing the civil action against Bruce Rappaport and his company IHI Debt Settlement Company Ltd. is simply this: after months of hard negotiations based on the information provided by Mr. Lindquist in his report, Mr. Rappaport, through his lawyers, has agreed to settle the claim against himself and his company by paying to the government the sum of US$12,000,000 in respect of our civil claim. I am pleased to advise that the government is in receipt of the payment. I will be advising our Counsel in Miami to take similar steps in respect of the pending Miami case whose status, as you know from my recent Statement to Parliament, is due for review in late May 2009.
You will no doubt recognize the importance and significance of this recent development as this Administration seeks to recover through a number of civil actions the various monies and parcels of land which we allege were fraudulently appropriated by certain members of the former administration for their own personal gain and enrichment and to the detriment and financial pain of the people of this country.
This as an historic day for Antigua & Barbuda. EC$32 million has been recovered, that rightfully belong to the people's government. Now, the perpetrators of this great crime can be brought to justice.
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$230M FOR UDECOTT CONTRACTORS
By Andre Bagoo Friday, April 15 2011
THE GOVERNMENT has agreed to underwrite a $230 million loan from the State-owned bank First Citizens to Udecott in order to allow the special purpose company to begin to satisfy millions in debt due to contractors.
Speaking at a Cabinet press-briefing yesterday, Acting Finance Minister Vasant Bharath yesterday announced that the Government would guarantee a $230 million credit facility that will “allow Udecott to be in a position to pay contractors.” The money will be made available in two phases: one phase involving $100 million and another $130 million. The First Citizens’ loan will come in at a rate of 5.25 percent interest, repayable over a period of five years.
“That’s to start to pay off a number of the bills that are due and have accrued over the last year and a half at Udecott to contractors,” Bharath said. “The Government is intent on meeting all of its obligations and paying all of its liabilities as soon as we possibly can and we will continue to look at outstanding amounts that are owed by the Government and the State.”
Bharath added, “The Ministry of Finance has been authorised to do the draw-down so it is almost with immediate effect.”
The announcement of the measure came amidst reports of cash-flow problems at Udecott. Bharath, acting in the absence of Finance Minister Winston Dookeran who is in Washington at meetings with the International Monetary Fund and World Bank until next Monday, could not say which contractors would be paid. He suggested that the Ministry of Finance would handle the matter on a “first in first out” basis. However, he assured that the funds would be available immediately.
Bharath could not say whether the funds would be applied to pay approximately $54 million submitted by Udecott contractor Shanghai Construction Group, the contractor of choice used to build the Prime Minister’s Residence and Diplomatic Centre among other projects.
Udecott chairman Jearlean John yesterday said the $230 million loan was welcomed. She said the money would be used to resuscitate projects where work has halted due to debts.
“What we are focusing on is resuscitating the projects which are now dormant and that need to be outfitted,” she said. “That figure might not be able to service the entire Udecott debt but it certainly we will go some way to servicing it.”
In an indication of cash-flow challenges for the state company in the absence of any new projects, John noted that Udecott’s debts were not just related to construction contractors.
“Udecott has money for multiple people whether for the supply of paper clips or building a large building or something else or support or security services,” she noted. “It is a project manager and without projects it earns no fees. For the last five months there have been no fees. This did not start with this government that started with the previous government.” President of the Trinidad and Tobago Contractors’ Association (TTCA) Mervyn Chin could not be reached for comment yesterday. However TTCA director–and a former president of the organisation who lobbied the State on the issue of debts to contractors — Mikey Joseph welcomed the news.
“I am no longer the president but as a past president who has been at the forefront of the issue of payment outstanding to contractors, without usurping the auspices of the president, I think this is overdue and I think it should be welcomed by our members who are owned money by Udecott,” he said. “I know of one contractor who has struggled for well over one year without payment.”
He said it was important that the money become available as soon as possible and said it represented hope for smaller contractors.
“It should give some encouragement. There is a difference between approving loans and accessing payment. The gestation period makes a big difference too,” he said.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Suraj Rambachan, who chaired yesterday’s media briefing at the Diplomatic Centre, St Ann’s, said the recommendations of the Uff Report into Udecott are still being reviewed by the State. With news emerging this week that the Uff Commission of Inquiry cost over $54 million, Rambachan hinted that the State will not shy away from pursuing civil action to recover money deemed to be lost due to corruption at Udecott under the PNM. Udecott remains under police probe.
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Contractors welcome $230M payment
Monday, April 18 2011
T&T Newsday
President of the Trinidad and Tobago Contractors Association (TTCA) Mervyn Chin yesterday said Government’s decision to pay contractors was a positive step towards improving the industry.
Last Thursday at a Cabinet press-briefing acting Finance Minister Vasant Bharath announced that Government has agreed to underwrite a $230 million loan from the State-owned bank First Citizens to Udecott in order to allow the special purpose company to begin to satisfy millions in debt due to contractors.
“It is good news because Udecott has owed contractors for the last two years and this move by Government shows there is hope for the rest of payment to follow through.
It shows Government’s willing to settle their indebtedness, it is a positive step and we look forward to cooperating with them to resolve all of the issues.
As things begin to improve the industry will improve and we could continue to do the development that is of good to the nation,” he said. The money will be made available in two phases: one phase involving $100 million and another $130 million. The First Citizens’ loan will come in at a rate of 5.25 percent interest, repayable over a period of five years.
When asked whether the loan was signed Chief Executive Officer of First Citizens, Larry Howai, said he could not comment as that was a private issue between the bank and its customer.
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UDECOTT PROBE BEGINS
By NALINEE SEELAL (Newsday).
Wednesday, June 15 2011
Canadian corruption-buster Bob Lindquist has been contracted by the People’s Partnership Government to conduct a two-week forensic probe into the misappropriation of billions of dollars from the State-owned Urban Development Corporation of Trinidad and Tobago (Udecott), and is expected to deliver his findings to Attorney General (AG) Anand Ramlogan.
This will be Lindquist’s second investigation of Udecott projects as he had also been hired by the previous PNM administration in 2009, months after the conclusion of the Uff Commission of Inquiry which recommended a further probe of contracts awarded by the special purpose company.
The findings of Lindquist’s first probe were never made public and it is unclear what has happened to the report.
Lindquist, a forensic accountant, arrived in the country early yesterday and was driven to the Office of the Attorney General at Cabildo Chambers, St Vincent Street, Port-of-Spain, where he held discussions with Queen’s Counsel Allan Newman and Richard Freeman, a former legal officer at Udecott.
The meeting took place in the boardroom of the AG’s office and lasted for close to five hours.
Newsday understands that Lindquist was given documents in relation to contracts awarded by Udecott under its former executive chairman Calder Hart.
His latest investigation will centre on four Udecott projects: the Brian Lara Stadium, Tarouba, the South Academy of the Performing Arts, San Fernando, the North Academy of the Performing Arts, Port-of-Spain and the Ministry of Legal Affairs Tower, Port-of-Spain. Combined, the four projects have incurred multi-billion dollar cost overruns. Udecott’s line minister, Dr Roodal Moonilal, of the Housing Ministry, said an additional $100 million has to be sourced to complete the Tarouba stadium, the final cost of which is an estimated $1.1 billion.
Concerns have also been raised about the delayed South Academy of Performing Arts, in which it was discovered that construction materials were over-priced and there were flaws in structure, as well as possible breaches of approval rules of the Environmental Management Authority.Although completed and in use, the North Academy is also considered to have been over-priced with construction flaws. Chinese firm Shanghai Construction Group is the contractor for the two academies.
Lindquist is expected to meet with senior Udecott managers during his two-week forensic probe and may visit the sites of the four projects.
According to a source, “Lindquist will be looking at getting evidence of misconduct, abuse of power, fraud, and deceit, allegedly committed by those high-ranking management officials at Udecott prior to the May 24 General Election.”
Government had vowed on its election to office to investigate Udecott in keeping with the recommendations of the Uff Commission of Inquiry which had been initiated by the previous administration in 2009, in response to public outcry over corruption at the company.
Lindquist’s latest forensic report will be handed over to the AG, who will then seek legal advice on the findings to initiate civil action if necessary. The findings are also to be sent to Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Roger Gaspard for consideration of a criminal case.
Udecott sources said former officials may be called on to assist in the forensic probe.
Lindquist is expected to examine documents which the Anti-Corruption Investigations Bureau (ACIB) seized during police raids at Udecott’s Port-of-Spain offices in 2009. The ACIB is a police unit of the Office of the AG.
According to sources, Hart, a Canadian, who is at the centre of the probe, will not be required to make himself available to answer questions regarding the award of contracts.
Hart has been personally linked to the Legal Affairs Tower project through his Malaysian wife Sherrine, whose brothers were directors of the Malaysian contractor Sunway Caribbean which constructed the multi-million dollar building.
Millions of dollars are still to be spent to outfit the tower which remains unoccupied.
A year ago, the police submitted a file to the DPP on the investigation of perjury allegations against Hart, who had denied his family link to Sunway. The DPP sent back the file to the police for further clarification, and up to yesterday officers had not yet completed this investigation. They have been asking for more time to complete the perjury probe.
Sources yesterday said it was this delay in the police probe which prompted the AG to explore civil action in relation to Udecott.
The AG’s lawyers are also considering civil action against former prime minister Patrick Manning, who had stoutly defending Hart while in office, even speaking to Hart about a police probe in early 2010. Days after this conversation, Hart resigned from Udecott and several State boards and his family left Trinidad. They have since settled in Miami.
The civil action would claim Hart breached his fiduciary, contractual and common law duties as Udecott executive chairman. Former prime minister Patrick Manning may also be subject to civil litigation arising out of the Lindquist probe.
The Manning case may also be linked to the stalled construction of a church at the Heights of Guanapo in Arima for his spiritual adviser Juliana Pena.
The corruption buster
Bob Lindquist is a forensic accountant who investigates multi-million dollar white-collar crimes.
He has visited Trinidad on several occasions to conduct forensic audits. He first visited Trinidad in the 1980s to probe John O’Halloran and Francis Prevatt under the PNM administration. The matter ended up in court both in Canada and the United States and resulted in Trinidad and Tobago being paid million of dollars in damages under the NAR government.
His second period of engagement started in September 2000 when he was hired, under the UNC, by then attorney general Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj to investigate the Piarco Airport contract. The PNM administration broadened his assignment to include investigations into a number of contracts negotiated under the UNC government. Lindquist was also brought in by the PNM administration to probe the Cleaver Heights and Landate projects.
In 2003, Lindquist began his probe into Desalcott. He recently carried out a forensic probe on the operations of Clico. In September 2009, the PNM claimed that it had hired Lindquist to probe Udecott in their award of contracts. This was only made public in 2010 by former attorney general John Jeremie.
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This Lindquist fellah probin since the 80's?.....the amount of boball he mus be see during his investigations mus be staggering
If he start to call people name, de country done
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They holding this Udeocott card.
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UDECOTT back in de spotlight.....I guess the NP fiasco thing is last week, and de JW FIFA thing is last week also.
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Finance Ministry probes Zhang
By Andre Bagoo (Newsday).
Sunday, June 19 2011
THE MINISTRY OF Finance has launched a special tax audit into revenues earned by Michael Zhang’s SCG International (Trinidad and Tobago) Limited, in relation to an estimated $2 billion in Urban Development Corporation of Trinidad and Tobago (Udecott) projects which the firm was linked to over a period of four years, sources disclosed this week.
A department of the Board of Inland Revenue, (BIR) known as the Petroleum and Large Tax-Payers Business (PLTB) Unit, has opened an audit into SCG for the years 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009.
Staff at the unit have, over the last few weeks, quietly combed thousands of pages of documents seized by the Fraud Squad during a raid at the SCG offices at Keate Street, Port-of-Spain in June 2010. The aim of the special audit is to ascertain whether taxes paid by SCG were based on understated revenues. The PLTB is also closely reviewing tax documents submitted to the BIR by SCG.
Sunday Newsday has learnt that officials at SCG have already been contacted by staff at the PLTB in relation to the special audit. SCG is said to have denied that its revenues have been understated and has contradicted reports over the value of contracts awarded to it.
The PLTB, which was set up in June 2002 under the PNM, is manned by civil servants who report to one of the five commissioners of the BIR. The unit offers tax services to all petroleum-producing companies, as well as all banks and insurance companies, among others. It is charged with closely monitoring the filing of returns and payments to ensure that they meet set timelines and are otherwise in compliance.
PLTB special audits are typically conducted only in relation to firms whose revenues exceed $100 million. The findings of such audits impact companies where they feel it the most: their tax bill. Such findings could trigger penalties and further proceedings.
It is understood that the scope of the PLBT audit includes an examination of SCG documents in relation to the estimated $2 billion in projects the company was tied to under the PNM.
SCG, which is named after the Chinese firm Shanghai Construction Group, was hand-picked by then Udecott boss Calder Hart to work on the $250 million Prime Minister’s Residence and Diplomatic Centre, as well as the $900 million National Academies for the Performing Arts in north and south Trinidad, reportedly on the strength of a “government to government” loan with China.
The company was also reportedly awarded a contract for the $460 million Ministry of Education Tower project at St Vincent Street, Port-of-Spain. SCG was also announced as being given responsibility for a $150 million project involving the upgrade of the South Terminal of the Piarco International Airport. At one stage SCG was also favoured by Udecott for the construction of a series of police stations.
Zhang, who is said to be the Chinese managing director of SCG International, was also quietly awarded a private sub-contract on the $368 million Ministry of Legal Affairs Tower project by Sunway Construction Caribbean Limited through his own company, Times Construction Company Limited. Sunway has been linked to former Udecott chairman Hart.
Zhang’s SCG also controversially constructed a church at the Heights of Guanapo, Arima. That structure was said to have been dedicated to former Prime Minister Patrick Manning’s so-called spiritual adviser Juliana Pena. Hart played a special role in that $30 million project as well.
It is understood that an initial hurdle of the PLBT special tax audit has been difficulty in combing the documents seized by the police from SCG International last year, some of which are assumed to be incomplete.
Additionally, a key issue in dispute is the stated contract sums for several of the Udecott projects which, throughout their progress, saw estimated costs swell, according to documents which Udecott submitted to the Uff Commission of Inquiry.
Zhang last year submitted a bill for $54 million to Minister of Finance Winston Dookeran, arguing that the sum was outstanding to SCG International for work on various projects. SCG’s levels of profits are not clear.
Word of the special audit into the Udecott contractor comes amidst plans for a civil law case to deal with issues of governance at Udecott, as well as a probe by Canadian forensic investigator Bob Lindquist.
Word of the audit also comes as another Udecott contractor, Hafeez Karamath Limited, (HKL) today launches a defence of its own performance at Udecott’s billion-dollar Brian Lara Stadium project at Tarouba. With the stadium project mired in delays and overruns, HKL points out that it is not the only contractor at the site and places blame for problems at the project with Udecott. (See pages 7 and 9)
“HKL was not the only large contractor engaged to perform works at the stadium,” the company argues in a paid advertisement published today.
It noted that its initial contract for the building structure totalled $379 million. Thereafter, there were “variations” totalling $200 million. (HKL does not give a figure for the millions in taxpayer-funded advanced payments it was controversially paid in apparent breach of practices, simply noting that all advances were repaid).
Udecott’s designs for the project, HKL says, “were incomplete, requiring constant instruction from staff.” “At the same time, Udecott failed to station a field engineer on the Tarouba project site,” HKL said.
HKL, which was a party to the Uff Commission of Inquiry, which found the Brian Lara Stadium project to be “scandalous” and recommended a police probe, says it warned Udecott that the project, now surpassing the $1 billion cost mark, would face overruns.
“In 2007, after conducting a value engineering exercise on the design, HKL advised Udecott of the potential cost overruns and offered to re-design the project and take design responsibility. Udecott rejected the offer,” the company says.
It is unclear why HKL proceeded with work on the project in such circumstances. The project was supposed to have been completed in 2007, the year HKL apparently issued its warning.
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DIRECTOR QUITS
UDeCOTT board member fails to declare interest in $m contract bid
By Anna Ramdass (Express).
Director of the Urban Development Corporation of Trinidad and Tobago Ltd (UDeCOTT) Brian Lewis tendered his resignation last Thursday following objections from board members when his company ACLA:Works Architecture and Interior Design made a bid for a multi-million-dollar project for which he declared his interest only after the process was closed.
Lewis's resignation comes just five months after receiving his instrument of appointment back in February.
UDeCOTT chairman Jearlean John, when contacted yesterday, confirmed Lewis's resignation. She said "it was discovered that he (Lewis) only declared his interest only after the whole process".
Contacted last night, Lewis said it was a personal matter which he preferred not to discuss with the media.
Lewis, an architect, according to information on his website aclaworks.com, "has brought extensive experience in design and project management to a number of largely commercial projects—among these are the landmark Gulf City Complex in San Fernando and the Hall of Justice and Financial Complex in Port of Spain". He is also a keen architectural photographer.
ACLA:Works, of which Lewis is a director, submitted bids for the outfitting of Tower D on the Waterfront, Port of Spain, to make way for the Parliament.
The scope of work was divided into three packages and after the process was completed Pereira and Co Ltd ranked the highest on the basis of its technical and financial proposals.
The evaluations committee recommended that Pereira and Co Ltd be awarded Packages 1 and 2. Agostini Ltd was recommended for package three.
The Express understands that UDeCOTT was negotiating a $45 million figure with the two successful firms in keeping with its budget.
In his resignation letter, Lewis stated that his firm would expect to considered for future construction projects and since his presence on the board constituted a perceived level of discomfort, he offered his resignation.
"Based on stated intention that my firm, ACLA:Works Architecture and Interior Design, would expect to [be] available for and be considered for future construction projects being undertaken by UDeCOTT and the view that my continued presence on the UDeCOTT board constitutes a perceived level of discomfort for any of its directors in these circumstance, I do hereby submit my resignation with immediate effect," Lewis stated in his resignation letter, dated July 14.
He stated that his action was no disrespect, adding that he could be contacted if any director needed his advice on construction.
Questioned on Lewis's resignation yesterday, John said Lewis did what was right.
"Mr Lewis did the right thing. As a director of a board, one has to strive to be above reproach, like Caesar's wife. The board was being put in a position to deal with perception and was not willing to accept that. I was not willing to put the board in a position having to explain an activist director," said John.
Asked if the process for the awarding of the contracts for the outfitting of Tower D was flawed in any way, John replied: "The entire process was not flawed. It was an open tender, we opened the bids publicly. The process of evaluation can stand any scrutiny. No member of the board, including me, was a part of that process."
She said since the new board was installed, a new chief financial officer and a procurement manager were hired to oversee tendering processes.
"We continue to strengthen UDeCOTT and ensure there are transparent systems and oversight," said John.
On a recent tour of Tower D, Housing Minister Dr Roodal Moonilal praised the State enterprise, hailing it as the "new UDeCOTT" as he applauded the transparency and accountability in tendering processes.
Under the Integrity in Public Life Act, board members and persons in public life must declare their interests.
In May this year, former planning minister Mary King was fired by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar after she failed to declare her interest in a family company—Ixanos—which received a $100,000 web development contract from the same ministry she led. King was the line minister for UDeCOTT.
The UDeCOTT board now comprises John, directors Zabar Mohammed Baksh (deputy chairman), Charles Balkaran, Dr Victoria Phillips-Jerome, Glenn Parmassar, Damian Hares, Shankar Bidaisee and Eli Zakour.
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State seeks to recover $400M from Hart
Sunday, April 29, 2012
By Anika Gumbs-Sandiford (Guardian).
Two years after former executive chairman of the Urban Development Corporation of T&T (Udecott) resigned from the state agency—civil proceedings are set to be initiated against Calder Hart in relation to the controversial Brian Lara Cricket Academy this week.
Sunday Guardian has learnt that the claim is expected to be filed in the Port-of-Spain High Court and is aimed at recovering approximately $400 million incurred on cost overruns. The move, legal sources revealed, is the first of other civil proceedings that are expected to follow in relation to other Udecott projects.
Hart shockingly tendered his resignation on March 6, 2010, following the court ruling by Madam Mira Dean-Armorer that allowed the Prof John Uff Report to be made public. Since its conceptualisation in 2003, under the former People’s National Movement administration, the controversial construction project has been plagued by a combination of cost overruns, compounded by shoddy work.
Taxpayers are now saddled with a $1 billion debt and an eyesore that is no closer to being completed. The academy was expected to host the 2007 Cricket World Cup in Tarouba. The original price of the stadium was estimated to cost $272 million. The controversial project formed a major part of the Uff Report that condemned the breach of proper procedures at the academy.
In his report, Prof Uff called for a police probe into the former executive chairman and a full-scale investigation into the awarding of an $885 million contract by Udecott to Malaysian-based CH Development Ltd, now Sunway Construction (Caribbean) Ltd, to build the academy.
The report also questioned the $368 million awarded to Udecott for construction of the Ministry of Legal Affairs Tower. However, to date, investigations into whether criminal proceedings would be initiated against Hart are yet unknown. Up to yesterday, a lead detective in the matter, when contacted by Sunday Guardian, only said: “Investigations into Hart are still ongoing. The matter is very sensitive at this stage.”
Asked if Hart can be located if he is called upon to answer charges, the investigator said: “We would do what needs to be done.” It was Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley that first raised the issues at Udecott, calling for Hart’s removal. Contents of the report identified various infringements of the 1998 rules of Udecott.
Citing a possible breach or abuse of the procurement rules, the report stated the following findings must be considered:
• Excessive and unfair use of sole selective tendering powers leading to a breach of obligations as to free and fair competition as well as transparency.
• Misuse or manipulation of tender and tender—review procedures leading to the inappropriate and potentially corrupt award of contracts. This observation applies particularly in the case of the awards in respect of the Ministry of Legal Affairs Tower and the Brian Lara Stadium.
• The internal organisation within Udecott, which has dealt with financial administration for the Brian Lara project, has given rise to serious alarm, the deficiencies identified by Mr McCaffrey being nothing short of scandalous.
This raises the equally serious question as to how such a state of affairs can have been permitted to arise. Hart fled the country days after he resigned from Udecott and subsequently placed his Cascade mansion on the market. He was last spotted in the company of his wife, Sherrine, in the United States.
About Hart
Former job titles
• Executive chairman of Udecott
• Chairman, chief executive officer and managing director of T&T Mortgage Finance Co Ltd
• Chairman of National Insurance Board
• Director of Home Mortgage Bank
• Chairman of Nipdec
Quick facts and allegations
• Former prime minister Patrick Manning announced in Parliament on May 23, 2008, that the Government had set up a Commission of Enquiry into the construction sector.
• According to former finance minister Karen Tesheira, Hart was paid an estimated $6.3 million in salary and perks ($158,375/month) for his chairmanship on five state boards since 2006.
• Document allegedly linking Hart to a company his board awarded $820 million in contracts emerged on March 3, after being obtained by the Congress of the People. The documents allegedly linked Hart’s wife, Sherrine, to the Malaysian firm Sunway Construction (Caribbean) Ltd—the company that was awarded the contract for the construction of the Ministry of Legal Affairs Tower in Port-of-Spain.
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Come on! De trail go get cold!
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Come on! De trail go get cold!
Get cold is some Eskimo dey hv 2 use 2 find him.
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Come on! De trail go get cold!
Get cold is some Eskimo dey hv 2 use 2 find him.
give ah teenage who good on the computer ah dime and ah six pack of red bull and they will have any info you want on the whereabouts of that ole tief in no-time. As a matter of fact.. I eh even feel Hart hiding, the newspaper juss like to make us feel he's so hard to find.
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His boat was last registered in Ft Lauderdale.... I would check there first!
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Just a ploy so that when elections come along again they can say that matters involving Hart are ongoing and making progress.!!!
Fool the people, Fool the people, Fool the people
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C News Twitter - BREAKING NEWS: AG ANNOUNCES THAT A CIVIL FRAUD CASE HAS BEEN LAUNCHED AGAINST CALDER HART.
"AG pursues civil fraud case against Calder Hart
Tuesday 1st May, 2012
Attorney General Anand Ramlogan has announced that a civil fraud case is being pursued against former Udecott Chairman, Mr. Calder Hart.
Mr. Hart is being sued in relation to the Brian Lara Stadium Project and his connection to CH Construction.
AG Ramlogan says the perjury case against Mr. Hart is still being investigated by the Police Service."
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C News Twitter - BREAKING NEWS: AG ANNOUNCES THAT A CIVIL FRAUD CASE HAS BEEN LAUNCHED AGAINST CALDER HART.
"AG pursues civil fraud case against Calder Hart
Tuesday 1st May, 2012
Attorney General Anand Ramlogan has announced that a civil fraud case is being pursued against former Udecott Chairman, Mr. Calder Hart.
Mr. Hart is being sued in relation to the Brian Lara Stadium Project and his connection to CH Construction.
AG Ramlogan says the perjury case against Mr. Hart is still being investigated by the Police Service."
NICE!
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finally what dem so f'ckin long >:( , this could be ongoing since d start, but no d fuss is Sat stupid radio license steups
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C News Twitter - BREAKING NEWS: AG ANNOUNCES THAT A CIVIL FRAUD CASE HAS BEEN LAUNCHED AGAINST CALDER HART.
"AG pursues civil fraud case against Calder Hart
Tuesday 1st May, 2012
Attorney General Anand Ramlogan has announced that a civil fraud case is being pursued against former Udecott Chairman, Mr. Calder Hart.
Mr. Hart is being sued in relation to the Brian Lara Stadium Project and his connection to CH Construction.
AG Ramlogan says the perjury case against Mr. Hart is still being investigated by the Police Service."
NICE!
For true Bourbon......but this latest action had me thinking, all dis time we hearing bout Calder Hart, but didn't UDECOTT have a board?? What happen to the members of the board?? They weren't culpable in this whole thing too?? Now somebody goh have to refresh mih memory was it that Calder Hart acted on his own in awarding thesse contracts or not?? Ah really cyar remember....
AG Ramlogan says the perjury case against Mr. Hart is still being investigated by the Police Service."
Earlier this week Vernon De Lima was being interviewed on Power 102 and since he was the one that initially broke the story about the family relations between Hart and Sunway, he was asked what were his thoughts on the Calder Hart issue and the length of time its taking to get some action against him. Mr. De Lima replied that he has it from good sources that Mr. Hart is allegedly bribing officials here (and by that I take it he means police cuz is dem doing the investigating) to not take action against him. He said Mr. Hart does be boasting up and down the place (in Miami or Ft. Lauderdale or where ever the hell he is) that he will never be brought back here to face the courts.......ah sell it like a buy it.
I drove past that Tarouba Stadium on Saturday and mih blood boil a little watching that waste of money!!! It reminded of why I put on a hazmat suit and voted for this current bunch of misfits..... :frustrated: :banginghead: :cursing:
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(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kE5QAqOaCHU/TpkBVQXbmzI/AAAAAAAAMJU/AZqp9dzWiBs/s1600/manning_0.jpg)
“Lock me up too. Look me here, lock me up! Not Calder Hart."
Enough said......
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NICE!
Really? Lol.
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Ent he could just ignore them ?
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Ent he could just ignore them ?
Pretty much... people getting tie up. This is a CIVIL suit, not a criminal prosecution... the stiffest penalty he facing is a fine. He could just wave them off and the most they could do is hope fuh a lien on his property. If he have any property in Trinidad they could take that, but they can't touch his assets outside of the country (maybe if the US courts gets involved, but that ent likely).
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That's what I thought.
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That's what I thought.
BIG FAT WET STEUPSSSSSSS.
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NICE!
Really? Lol.
Yes nice. One of two things could happen.
He ignore dem...and dey get show up for dey waste of time grand charging.
He answer dem....dey hadda move forward on it....and if de case fall apart.......dahs on dem. If he get stick.....justice.
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Udecott quashes Genivar/DCAL contract
Sunday, May 6, 2012
By Anika Gumbs-Sandiford (Guardian).
The ghost of former executive chairman of the Urban Development Corporation of T&T (Udecott), Calder Hart, continues to haunt the state enterprise. Two years after the ex-Udecott boss resigned and fled T&T, yet another of his decisions has come under the microscope—this time it’s the hiring of Design Collaborative Associates Ltd (DCAL) to design a master plan for the development of Port-of-Spain at a cost of $33,766,113.70.
Engineering firm Genivar was hired as the project manager and engineer for the project. However, a perusal of documents revealed that no board approval was granted. And, while in 2008 Udecott issued three payments, inclusive of mobilisation fees, totalling $10,973,986.97 to the company, the outstanding balance of some $23 million is now an issue of contention between Genivar, DCAL and Udecott, as no further payments have been made to date.
Sunday Guardian understands that Udecott has refused to honour the agreement on the basis that Hart, in his capacity as executive chairman, had no authority to enter into such an agreement without board approval. As a result, Genivar and DCAL have initiated legal action against the state enterprise for the outstanding balance.
In the pre-action letter sent to Udecott on April 2, by law firm Hamel Smith & Company, Genivar and DCAL are contending that the design of the plan was drafted after an agreement “which was evidenced partly orally, partly in writing and partly by conduct meetings.”
The letter stated the oral agreement was taken on January 18, 2008, between DCAL managing director Jack Shenker, director Stephen Mendes and Genivar, on behalf of clients—former executive chairman Calder Hart and Udecott. The agreement was evidenced by the following documents:
• Port-of-Spain Waterfront Redevelopment Planning and Implementation proposal dated December 20, 2007
• Port-of-Spain Waterfront Redevelopment Planning and Implementation proposal dated January 10, 2008
• Letter of award dated February 21, 2008, from Udecott to Genivar
• Letter dated February 25, 2008, from Genivar to Udecott
While the agreement by conduct involved:
• Eleven stakeholders’ meetings from April 16, 2008, to January 19, 2009, which were attended by representatives of various government agencies, non-governmental groups and private sector bodies
• Under cover of memorandum dated November 17, 2008, Genivar submitted 50 copies of the report on the waterfront master plan for presentation to Cabinet together with the Cabinet note
• On March 11, 2008, and September 9, 2008, Genivar made presentations of the plan to Udecott
• On January 29, 2009, Genivar made a presentation of the plan to Cabinet
• On December 3, 2010, Genivar made a presentation of the plan to the Ministry of Planning, Economic and Social Restructuring and Gender Affairs
Acknowledgement of the agreement, Genivar stated, involved the following terms and conditions:
• A mobilisation fee of ten per cent of the total fee, inclusive of overseas personnel expenses in the sum of $3,376,611.37 (VAT inclusive)
• Eight equal monthly instalments (VAT inclusive) in the sum of $3,798,687.80
The letter further stated that on January 25, 2010, Udecott chief accounting officer, Akoufua Edward, acknowledged that the state enterprise owed the company $15,194,751.20 and not the sum claimed by Genivar and DCAL.Both companies, Genivar and DCAL, are insisting that monies are paid.
Former minister failed in attempts to have monies paid
The legal action comes one year after former Planning, Economic and Social Restructuring and Gender Affairs minister, Mary King, also failed in her bid to have the outstanding monies paid. King, in a letter dated February 24, 2011, had made a case for the outstanding monies to be paid to DCAL director Stephen Mendes.
In the letter sent to new Udecott boss Jearlean John, King stated a large amount of money was owed to Mendes. However, John dismissed the request, indicating that no board approval was granted for the project and instructed that the matter be evaluated by the new Udecott board.
Mendes shot into the spotlight in 2010, after it was revealed he was the architect behind the controversial Lighthouse of the Lord Jesus Christ Church in Guanapo. The church, owned by Rev Juliana Pena, the spiritual adviser of former prime minister Patrick Manning, has since been destroyed by vandals.
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Ex-Udecott official racks up $3m bill.
By Gail Alexander (Guardian).
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Former Udecott chief operating officer Neelanda Rampaul accumulated a $3.1 million bill over several months at the Hyatt Regency for cookies, pina colada drinks, pork chops and hotel sleepovers, all classified as “office expenses,” says Housing Minister Roodal Moonilal. “I have the bills from Udecott right there—it included a $2,000 bill for eating,” Moonilal added, during his contribution to yesterday’s 2012 budget debate in the Lower House. “These items were obtained from September 2009 to April 2010, classified as ‘office expenses.’ “Wanton waste! All paid for by taxpayers!”
Moonilal said Udecott carried an image of corruption since it was the “playground for (ex-chairman) Calder Hart.” During the PNM’s tenure, Moonilal said, it was also a case of the Housing Development Corporation “gone wild.” He added: “There were ‘OJT’ contractors—somebody’s friend who get a contract and give it out to a contractor...people who never build a dog kennel was suddenly building 300 houses.” Moonilal said a Debe project of 2005 still wasn’t completed, and had a 250 per cent cost overrun from $71 million to $182 million, plus requiring $50 million in remedial work. He said an Arima house had five walls in a bedroom and no room for the bed, while other projects had cracked houses, no waste-water plants or power.
Moonilal said part of this chain went straight back to PNM’s San Fernando East MP (Patrick Manning.) On Rampaul’s Hyatt bills, Moonilal listed items obtained by Rampaul on Udecott’s tab, including two dozen cookies and all room charges paid for by Udecott. “They buy up to Duracell battery and all and put it on Udecott bill,” the minister said. “...Burger, chicken, avocado...They run up bills, in one case for $2,000, all for eating. “Caviar, pork chops, lamb chops... In January 2010, there is a pool bar bill for pina colada (drink), liquor, sushi (fish dish), salmon, Spicy Negriri (food dish) and a ‘Virgin Banana’ (drink). “In September 2009, it was Fish of the Day (dish), macaroon cookies, oatmeal and almond cookies. “All of this was paid for by the taxpayers!
“I have no difficulty with people who have their lavish tastes and have executive meals and drinks, but when it comes to paying, take the money from your purse or pocket and pay—don’t put it on an expense account!” He said items taken by Rampaul from the Hyatt’s pool bar and other places are “your personal expenses... it’s not for the taxpayer to foot the bill.” “But the PNM doesn’t want us to allocate money for forensic audits because if we audit properly, we might find out about these pork chops and lamb chops, etc,” Moonilal added. Moonilal said Rampaul also overrode other Udecott personnel in writing parties to demand payments. He said ex-chairman Hart had a parallel structure alongside the duly employed Udecott personnel.
Although the Uff commission found there was no auditor at Udecott, Moonilal said one Deidre Etienne was listed as an executive manager (Risk and Audit) at a monthly salary of $70,000. He also listed other highly-paid Udecott managers among Hart’s team. He said those included legal services manager Richard Freeman (earning $50,000 monthly), Samantha Young ($49,000 package) and finance manager Ricardo O’Brien ($53,000 package). Moonilal said the PNM government had only “thown a tarpaulin” over the Red House for eight years, and between 2005 and 2010, some $88 million was spent on restoration work.
He said roof restoration was delayed 650 days and 55 per cent of this was done, but there were 37 items of variations and an escalation of $8.7 million. He said scaffolding company Structural Engineering and Consultancy Services was paid thousands daily towards a total of $2.2 million of a $3 million contract for Red House work. Noting cost overruns for several projects, Moonilal said: “The day a project moves from $171 million to $750 million, that’s the day I and those of us on this (PP) side need to pack up and go back to Cuchewan Trace, go back to Debe and Felicity and where we come from.” He said for 2012, his ministry was aiming for 6,952 housing units and hoped to distribute 1,000 houses for Christmas 2012.
Moonilal said the Government had expanded CEPEP from 5,000 workers to 9,000, and Tobago would soon have CEPEP. The programme would now also be cleaning beaches and river mouths, he added. Moonilal said Attorney General Anand Ramlogan’s division had received allocations for paying legal fees since the PNM government had left the PP “with bills.” He said that in one year, the PP administration had had no scandal. “What?!!!” roared the PNM side.
Moonilal called on the PNM to say what money was misappropriated. He said when issues were raised, the matter was stopped, recalled or revoked. He wondered how PNM stalwarts felt about PNM leader Keith Rowley abandoning the balisier tie which PNM founder Eric Williams had used and which ex-leader Manning maintained. Moonilal said the Opposition as an alternative government had failed to produce alternative budget proposals.
(http://www.guardian.co.tt/sites/default/files/event/Roodal%20Moonilal_0_0.png)
Housing Minister Roodal Moonilal makes his contribution during yesterday’s budget debate in Parliament. Photo: Nicole Drayton
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Where d criminal charges?
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Sunway Director is Mrs Hart’s brother
By NALINEE SEELAL Tuesday, May 8 2012
THE Central Authority in Malaysia, acting on a request by Attorney General Anand Ramlogan via the TT Central Authority, issued court proceedings in Malaysia which later confirmed the authenticity of a birth certificate belonging to a director of Sunway Caribbean Limited, which was given a multi-million dollar contract by Udecott, under the tenure of then executive director Calder Hart, to build the Ministry of Legal Affairs Tower in Port-of-Spain.
The authentication of the birth certificate is being seen as a major coup for Fraud Squad investigators who are probing alleged perjury.
Newsday was told that on March 16, Justice Madmud bin Abdullah, presiding over a Sessions Court in Malaysia’s capital Kuala Lumpur certified that the birth certificate of Lee Hup Ming — the original of which is in possession of the TT Police — is in fact authentic.
Evidence was taken from Nor Fadliah Binti Mat Shaari, the Assistant Registration Officer at the National Registry in Malaysia. Evidence was led by Federal Counsel Shammala Jaganathan, in a proceedings titled Public Prosecutor vs Nor Fadliah Binti Mat Shaari, Arrest Case No 64-09- 02/2012.
Lee Hup Ming was listed as a director of Sunway Caribbean Limited, the company which got a contract worth $368,902,836.60 from Udecott to build the tower. According to information from the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange, on January 27, 2005, CH Development sold 100 percent of its shares to Sunway Caribbean Limited.
Sunway Caribbean Limited was given the contract to build the towers on May 5, 2005, and on that same day, CH Development changed its name to Sunway Construction Caribbean Limited. On May 17, 2005, Lee Hup Ming, Ng Chin Poh and Leong Chong Chee, the original directors of CH Development were replaced by Kwan Foh Kwai and Poon Koo Hoo.
During his testimony before the Uff Commission of Inquiry in 2009, former Udecott executive chairman Calder Hart denied before the Commission that neither he nor his wife Sherrine Hart were related to any of the directors of the company that was awarded a contract to build the Ministry of Legal Affairs Tower. Hart presented a sworn statement to the police alluding to this.
Police also secured a statement from his wife Sherrine, in which she, too, claimed not being related to any of the directors of the company given the contract to build the tower.
However, sworn witness testimony from Nor Fadilah Binti Mat Shaari, the Assistant Registration Officer of the Malaysian National Registry, contradicts the claims by Calder Hart and his wife Sherrine of no familial link with director Lee Hup Ming.
Shaari’s testimony confirmed that Lee Hup Ming is in fact the brother of Sherrine Hart.
During her testimony on March 16, Shaari was shown a copy of the birth certificate of Lee Hup Ming. “This birth certificate under the name of Lee Hup Ming, was registered at the Chinese Maternity Hospital, Negeri Sembilan,” Shaari told the court.
She was asked, as an Assistant Registration Officer, how was she able to confirm the authenticity of the document, to which Shaari replied: “Even if this is a copy, to authenticate it, we have to look at physical records and we have that physical record.”
She was also asked if she was able to obtain the certified copy of the extract of the birth certificate of Lee Hup Ming bearing Birth Registration Number 154663 and Identity Card Number 20230580, in which Shaari answered, “yes”. She even told the court that she was able to produce the documents in court, because she had them in her possession.
During that court proceeding, the Federal Counsel authenticated the birth certificate of Lee Hup Ming. On April 5, an official correspondence was sent to Sunita Harrikissoon — Head of the Central Authority of TT — by Mohammed Radzi Harun, Acting Head of the International Affairs Division for the Attorney General in Malaysia.
The correspondence, in part, stated: “Please find enclosed, herewith, the following documents marked as Annexures A and B respectively. Certificate signed by Mahmud Abdullah, the Sessions Court Judge of the Sessions Court at the Federal Territory of Kuala Lampur, Malaysia dated 16 March 2012; “and the Notes of Proceedings/Recording of Witness Statement of the witness Nor Fadilah Binti Mat Shaari (National Registration Identification Card No.: 820826-03-5036), recorded before Mahmud Abdullah, the Sessions Court Judge of the Sessions Court at the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia dated 16 March 2012 and its attached exhibits.”
Fraud Squad police are expected to travel to Malaysia later this week to secure information and evidence as they continue their probe into allegations of perjury. This visit to Malaysia is being made possible through the intervention of AG Ramlogan, who wrote to the Central Authority in Malaysia seeking the necessary assistance to facilitate a probe by TT police into a criminal complaint.
The Central Authority of Trinidad and Tobago also wrote to the Central Authority of the United States asking for assistance in locating Mr and Mrs Hart who were last seen in Miami. Local police sources said the Harts are needed by investigators to assist in the perjury investigations.
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New twist in buying of $3m villa in Tobago
T&T Guardian Reports.
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Housing and Environment Minister Dr Roodal Moonilal yesterday provided a new twist on Udecott’s controversial purchase of a $3 million executive villa in Tobago. He did so when he revealed the comments of some guests who stayed at the villa in Bon Accord before the 2010 general election. Moonilal made the revelations during yesterday’s sitting of the House of Representatives during debate on a Government motion to increase the 2012 national budget by $1.5 billion.
Moonilal, Leader of Government Business in the House, said the comment “that takes the cake” was dated May 11, 2010. Works and Infrastructure Minister Jack Warner, seated next to him, interjected: “13 days before the election.” Moonilal then continued with the comment he was about to read from the guest book: “Lovely place, Patrick, thanks for inviting.” That sparked laughter on the Government benches and silence from the Opposition. Some Government MPs shouted “shame,” while others said “Patrick Manning?”
Moonilal responded immediately: “This is the guest book. It could be Patrick Chokolingo, or something, or Patrick Swayze, I don’t know, I can’t say.” He said the facility was used “to entertain friends and family. This is how they operate.” Moonilal insisted such a development could not happen under the People’s Partnership Government. He said Cabinet decided earlier this year that all Udecott projects would be supervised by an inter-ministerial committee, chaired by the Prime Minister.
He said the committee met every fortnight to look at the Udecott portfolio in health, national security and the Red House. Moonilal said Udecott directors must get the permission of their line minister to travel abroad and its management had to account to the Government on a regular basis. Two weeks ago, at the People’s Partnership’s second-anniversary rally in Chaguanas, Moonilal said the Bon Accord villa was purchased by the State-owned special purpose company in US dollars in November 2007. He said: “To this day we can find no decision of the board of directors of Udecott to purchase an executive villa in Tobago.”
He said the Government also was unable to locate any Cabinet approval for Udecott’s purchase of the vacation home. “So this was done without board approval, without Cabinet approval and without the knowledge of the then minister in charge of Udecott,” Moonilal added.
The line minister at the time was Emily Dick-Forde. He dismissed a reported claim by former executive chairman of Udecott, Calder Hart, that the villa was purchased for a senior manager from Nipdec, who was relocated with his family to Tobago to work. Moonilal told legislators he “had cause to visit this villa in Tobago” over the weekend. At that time the Opposition Chief Whip rose on a point of order in an attempt to stop Moonilal from speaking about the issue. But the Speaker disallowed the motion. Moonilal then displayed a small white book, which he said was the guestbook for the villa. He said he was not going to disclose the identity of the guests who visited the villa up to a few days before the 2010 election. He said among them were private individuals, foreigners, and locals. He described the comments of the guests as “very interesting.”
Some of the comments, he said, were:
• “Beautiful, thanks for the great memories.”
• “Tobago at its best.”
• “Our stay was too short, enjoyed all the facilities.”
• “You were so hospitable to us.”
Moonilal said on the basis of those comments, the villa could not have been purchased for any Nipdec manager.
(http://www.guardian.co.tt/sites/default/files/field/image/house_0.png)
The executive villa in Bon Accord, Tobago.
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Hart pulls disappearing act
By Anika Gumbs-Sandiford (Guardian).
June-17-2012
The hunt is on to find former executive chairman of the Urban Development Corporation of T&T (Udecott) Calder Hart. This as civil proceedings documents sent to Hart at Unit 701 Las Olas, Grand Private Condominiums, 411 N New River Drive, East Fort Lauderdale, Florida, 33301-3176, United States, have been returned to T&T as he no longer resides at this address.
His whereabouts are unknown, as stated in the affidavit obtained by Sunday Guardian that was filed in the Port-of-Spain High Court on June 1. The High Court has cleared the way for Hart to be served outside the jurisdiction of T&T. The court order was granted by Justice Andre des Vignes in the Port-of-Spain High Court on June 5.
The Civil Proceedings Rules 1998 requires that originating proceedings be served personally on defendants. In the present case, the court was satisfied that the proceedings will come to the attention of Hart if he was served at his Florida address.
However, according to the affidavit, Hart cannot be located. Before migrating to the United States, Hart lived at De Lima Road, Cascade, with his wife Sherrine and their two children.
‘Move to avoid being served legal documents’
In the affidavit, attorney Christlyn Moore stated the sudden change of address appeared to be a move by Hart to avoid being served with the legal documents outlining a breach of his duty to exercise skill, care and diligence in the management of the affairs of Udecott.
In relation to the controversial Brian Lara Cricket Academy at Tarouba, the State is claiming that Hart failed to ensure that the advance payment bonds were renewed upon expiry or, alternatively, the balance of the advance payments made to Hafeez Karamath Ltd by Udecott in the sum of $65,680,978.88 were recovered.
Since its conceptualisation in 2003 under the former administration, the controversial construction project has been plagued by a combination of cost overruns, compounded by shoddy work. Taxpayers are now saddled with a $1 billion debt and an eyesore that is no closer to being completed.
The academy was expected to host the 2007 Cricket World Cup in Tarouba. The original price of the stadium was estimated to cost $272 million. The State is seeking to recover the outstanding sum, including damages and interest. Sunday Guardian learnt that a pre-action protocol letter was sent to Hart on October 17, 2011, at the Fort Lauderdale condominium, informing him of plans to initiate the legal proceedings.
Hart had acknowledged receipt of the legal letter on November 12 and requested that documentation to substantiate the allegations be sent to him. According to the affidavit, on February 3, documents regarding the advance payments were sent to Hart via FedEX Express and was delivered on February 7.
The affidavit stated that an individual by the name of Pacciulli signed for receiving the package, and on April 27, Hart sent a letter to Moore indicating that he received the legal documents. However, in an unexpected move on May 14, a letter sent to Hart from Moore via FedEX Express inquiring whether he was prepared to authorise someone within the jurisdiction of T&T to receive the service of the claim form and the statement of case against him was returned to its sender.
Contents of the affidavit stated that FedEx Express representative Charlene Hall, in a telephone conversation, informed Moore’s assistant Reisha Hutchinson that the letter was returned by an occupant claiming that the package had been accepted in error as Hart no longer resided at the address. Hart did not respond to an email sent to him yesterday.
Gibbs: Investigations at a sensitive stage
Commenting briefly on the situation yesterday Commissioner of Police Dwayne Gibbs said while he was unaware of the “development”, investigations were ongoing and are at a sensitive stage. Hart shockingly tendered his resignation on March 6, 2010, and fled T&T days later, following the court ruling by Madam Mira Dean-Armorer that allowed the Prof John Uff Report to be made public.
In his report, Prof Uff called for a police probe into the former executive chairman and a full-scale investigation into the awarding of an $885 million contract by Udecott to Malaysian-based CH Development Ltd, now Sunway Construction (Caribbean) Ltd. The report also questioned the $368 million awarded to Udecott for construction of the Ministry of Legal Affairs Tower.
About Hart Former job titles
• Executive chairman of Udecott
• Chairman, chief executive officer and managing director of T&T Mortgage Finance Co Ltd
• Chairman of National Insurance Board
• Director of Home Mortgage Bank
• Chairman of Nipdec
Quick facts and allegations
• Former prime minister Patrick Manning announced in Parliament on May 23, 2008, that the government had set up a Commission of Inquiry into the construction sector
• According to former finance minister Karen Tesheira, Hart was paid an estimated $6.3 million in salary and perks ($158,375/month) for his chairmanship on five state boards since 2006
• Documents allegedly linking Hart to a company his board awarded $820 million in contracts emerged on March 3, after being obtained by the Congress of the People. The documents allegedly linked Hart’s wife to the Malaysian firm Sunway Construction (Caribbean) Ltd—the company that was awarded the contract for the construction of the Ministry of Legal Affairs Tower in Port-of-Spain.
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$150m HYATT BATTLE
UDeCOTT, waterfront hotel in multi-million-dollar legal proceedings in Paris
By Asha Javeed (Express).
Hyatt Corporation, the international hotel chain and manager of the Government-owned hotel on the Port of Spain waterfront, has initiated arbitration proceedings against the Urban Development Corporation of Trinidad and Tobago (UDeCOTT) at the International Court of Arbitration in Paris, France, for "multiple breaches" in its Hotel Management Agreement.
The International Court of Arbitration handles international commercial disputes and is part of the International Chamber of Commerce.
But in a counter-claim, UDeCOTT is also claiming breaches in the Agreement and is seeking over $150 million.
Hyatt signalled its intent to pursue the matter legally in December 2010 in a letter to UDeCOTT chairman Jearlean John and late last year filed papers seeking declaratory relief for harm caused by UDeCOTT's multiple breaches of the Management Agreement, which it signed in July 27, 2005.
One of those breaches, the Hyatt claims, is the transfer of UDeCOTT's ownership interest and site (the property is leased from the Port Authority) to a subsidiary, the Port of Spain Waterfront Development Company.
Hyatt claims this breach has left it in doubt as to who is the rightful owner of some US$20 million in profits.
The company said it has been forced to place the funds in a separate account, pending resolution of this uncertainty.
The hotel is claiming its ability to provide management services is "severely compromised", as it has found itself with a "counterparty that has essentially absented itself from the project".
In its arbitration claim, a copy of which was obtained by the Express, Hyatt states that UDeCOTT has refused to approve plans for the completion of the hotel and related services such as the construction of an additional food and beverage outlet and retail space which were to be constructed one year after the hotel's opening, but this never occurred.
Hyatt claims UDeCOTT's failure to discuss or approve the plan has negatively affected Hyatt's provision of management services to the hotel.
"Among other things, the absence of the additional amenities means that the hotel cannot generate as much revenue as it otherwise would have been able to do. This, in turn, reduces the fees that Hyatt earns, since they are calculated as a percentage of revenues," it stated.
Hyatt also claimed UDeCOTT's failure to discuss the annual plan, operating budget and capital budget has left it without the ability to make proper low-cost maintenance and repairs.
Among such repairs are:
1. Upgrade to the hotel's fire-life safety system, which does not report reliably, could not be executed.
2. Plumbing problems associated with the pool.
Hyatt claims: "It is only because of a work-around devised by the hotel staff that the pool is operable at all; significant repairs are still required."
3. Leaks from the faulty plumbing to the pool make it necessary to replace ceiling tiles in meeting places on the hotel frequently, on average twice a month.
4. Repairs to the hotel's "building envelope", which leaks in some areas when it rains, causing water to penetrate guest bedrooms.
Hyatt also claimed UDeCOTT has breached its obligation with regard to the management of the parking garage next to the hotel.
"The garage is currently not under management. Instead, cars come and go freely and the structure is deteriorating. Due to UDeCOTT's failure to provide management for the garage, Hyatt Regency Trinidad does provide some custodial maintenance and security patrols for the parking structure," it stated.
Hyatt is seeking a declaration that UDeCOTT is in breach of the Hotel Management Agreement, a determination as to which entity is entitled to the distribution of funds and damages quantified over the course of arbitration.
However, in a counter-claim filed by UDeCOTT's attorneys in December 2011, UDeCOTT is seeking $146,577,358.33 in outstanding sums that Hyatt failed to pay in distributions owed between 2008 and 2011.
The company has denied charges levelled at it by Hyatt Corporation in its answer and counterclaim.
UDeCOTT has dismissed the Hyatt's claim that it's unsure to whom the funds are entitled as "misconceived".
"There are no proper grounds for contesting that UDeCOTT is and has been at all material times the entity entitled to these funds. An assignment of the leasehold interest in the land is not an assignment of UDeCOTT's rights and obligations under a contract known as the Hotel Management Agreement," UDeCOTT claimed.
UDeCOTT denied that Hyatt was unable to fulfill its management responsibilities as Hyatt has full authority to take decisions regarding the everyday management and operation of the hotel, and has done so for the last four years without impediment.
The company dismissed Hyatt's claim that it has complained about repair work to the hotel as "alleged" requests; it labelled as "allegation" the Hyatt's claim that it incurred expenses in managing the car park, noting that no such particular concern has been raised in communication.
UDeCOTT noted that while Hyatt was responsible for the water rates, it failed to pay the Water and Sewerage Authority between July 2, 2008, and December 8, 2010. Subsequently, this $1,762,370.99 debt was cleared by UDeCOTT and the company now wants back that sum.
In addition, UDeCOTT claims Hyatt owes $2,530,000 in tenancy charges, due as of June 14, 2011 (and continuing).
The Express understands that a legal team from UDeCOTT is expected to meet with their counterparts at the Hyatt Corporation next week to resolve the dispute.
Both the Hyatt and UDeCOTT have refused to comment on the matter.
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TIME COULD BE ON HART'S SIDE
By ANDRE BAGOO Sunday, November 25 2012
THE FIRST and foremost argument made by former Udecott executive chairman, Calder Hart, in defence of a million-dollar lawsuit brought against him by the State, is that it is now too late for the State to sue him because more than four years have passed since the matters alleged against him occurred and a statute of limitation applies.
In the first paragraph of his 28- page defence to a lawsuit brought against him by Udecott, Hart makes it clear he will invoke Section 3(1) of the Limitation of Certain Actions Act of 1997 – passed under the first UNC administration – which bars lawsuits beyond four years for certain breaches.
“The defendant will contend that these actions were brought after the expiry of four (4) years from the date on which the causes of action accrued and are, accordingly, barred,” one of Hart’s attorneys, Annabelle Sooklal, deposes in a 28-page statement in defence filed with the High Court on November 12.
The defence has been obtained by Sunday Newsday.
Section 3(1) of the Act stipulates that: “The following actions shall not be brought after the expiry of four years from the date on which the cause of action accrued, that is to say: (a) actions founded on contract, on quasi-contract or in tort” and “(c) actions to recover any sum recoverable by virtue of any enactment.” Hart is being sued for alleged breaches under the Companies Act.
He stands accused of mismanagement of Udecott, namely breach of company law duties, breach of fiduciary duties and the tort of negligence.
The allegations relate to his management of specific Udecott mega-projects under the administration of former PNM Prime Minister Patrick Manning.
If the court agrees with Hart’s submission on the statute of limitations, it will be irrelevant whether or not he is found, as a fact, to have breached any rules, since too much time has already passed. For instance, the $368 million contract for the Ministry of Legal Affairs (MLA) project, dated back to 2006, or six years ago.
The $1.3 billion Tarouba sporting complex project also dates back to 2006, and was meant for use in the 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup.
The allegations against Hart relate to tendering processes and payments around these dates.
The only exception to the Section 3(1) limitation rule is where fraud is involved or where the wrong doing was concealed or could not be discovered.
Hart argues that Udecott complied with all its reporting requirements to all the relevant PNM line ministers and that the fraud/concealment exception (Section 14(2) of the Act) does not apply.
“The defendant makes no admission as to the claimant’s contention as to its ability to avail itself of Section 14(2) of the Limitation of Certain Actions Act and contends that same is not available to the claimant and/or applicable in the present circumstances,” the lawyer argues.
“The defendant denies that he committed any breach of duty as alleged or at all and avers that at all material times, the minutes of the board meetings of (Udecott) were sent to the Minister of Finance (either directly or through the Ministry of Finance) and the line ministry of the claimant,” the attorneys state.
“Additionally, the claimant provided reports to various ministries, including its client ministries (eg the Ministry of Sport for the Brian Lara Cricket Academy (at Tarouba)) and the Ministry of Finance, throughout the life of the various projects that it was involved in, in order to, inter alia, obtain funding and/or the release of funds for the various projects and to provide updates on the projects, including issues that may have been affecting them.” Hart’s attorneys argue that no case is made out against him in the million-dollar lawsuit and calls for the case to be thrown out.
“The defendant will further contend that the statement of case discloses no ground for the bringing of the claims and/or discloses no cause of action against him, and accordingly should be struck out in its entirety pursuant to part 26.2 of the Civil Procedure Rules 1998 and/ or the court’s inherent jurisdiction,” Sooklal, who was authorised by Hart to depose the facts in his defence, states. Hart’s lawyers also argue he did not have a role to play in the day to day administration of payments in relation to the Tarouba project and further argued all his actions came in context of board decisions.
“He was not involved, nor was he responsible for the day to day matters on the various projects, including the Brian Lara Cricket Academy,” the lawyers say.
Hart also denies any wrongdoing in relation to the Ministry of Legal Affairs tower project and states he was not aware the company which first got the contract had ties to his wife, Sherrine Lee. He said he had never met his in-laws who were directors of CH Development (a company which later became Sunway Construction (Caribbean) Limited).
“Prior to his marriage to Ms Sherrine Lee in 2000 he had never met her relatives, who lived in Malaysia, and the only member of her family that attended her wedding was her sister,” the defence states.
“Furthermore, subsequent to his marriage to Ms Lee, the defendant did not have any contact or close relationship with her family who lived in Malaysia, since they were not fluent in English and he did not speak Malay or Chinese. Also, in any discussions with his wife as it related to her family, her family members were referred to by their Western names and not their Malaysian/Chinese names, as is the custom and/or practice in the east and at all material times, his wife’s brother (Lee Hup Ming) and brother-in-law (Ng Chin Poh) were always referred to as Allan and David.” “The defendant was not aware that any members of his wife’s family, and in particular that her brother and brother-in-law, as alleged, were directors of CH Development,” the defence states. “Since the defendant was not aware that any member of his wife’s family and in particular her alleged brother and brother-in-law were directors of CH Development, he had no need to make any declaration to the board of directors of any conflict as it related to the alleged involvement of family members.
“When in May 2008, allegations were made in Parliament of the alleged relationship between his wife and Lee Hup Ming and/ Ng Chin Poh, the defendant was not aware of who these individuals were for the reasons stated above, and when he made enquiries with respect to same he was not made aware of any relation between his wife and these individuals.” Of the use of his personal fax number to send correspondence to Udecott in relation to the contract, the defence states, “The defendant was unaware that his telephone number and personal fax at home were being used by anyone.” The Uff Report into the construction sector found the Tarouba project to be “scandalous” in its mismanagement.
The Udecott board was also found to have failed to protect the public purse in relation to the MLA project.
LONG DELAY AFTER
ALLEGATIONS RAISED
The question of the statute of limitations
in rthe Udecott lawsuit is the latest
twist in a saga which began in May
2008 when allegations against Hart
were first made in Parliament.
Former Tabaquite MP, Ramesh
Lawrence Maharaj, alleged on May 23,
2008, that Hart’s in-laws were tied to
the $368 million MLA contract.
As if by clockwork, the Udecott issue
was kept alive when, a month later,
Diego Martin West MP Keith Rowley
was fired by Manning. Rowley said he
was fired over the Udecott issue. Yet,
for two more years, Manning and his
administration would defend and praise
Hart 45 times, as the clock ticked.
Hart finally resigned in March 2010, a
few weeks before Manning dissolved
Parliament, and four years after the
contracts at the heart of the allegations.
LIMITATION OF
CERTAIN ACTIONS ACT
3. (1) The following actions shall not be
brought after the expiry of four years
from the date on which the cause of
action accrued, that is to say: (a)
actions founded on contract (other
than a contract made by deed) on
quasi-contract or in tort; (b) actions to
enforce the award of an arbitrator
given under an arbitration agreement
(other than an agreement made by
deed); or (c) actions to recover any
sum recoverable by virtue of any
enactment.
14. (1) Subject to subsection (3),
where in the case of any action for
which a period of limitation is prescribed
by this Act, either— (a) the
action is based upon the fraud of the
defendant; (b) any fact relevant to the
plaintiff’s right of action was deliberately
concealed from him by the defendant;
or (c) the action is for relief from
the consequences of a mistake, the
period of limitation shall not begin to
run until the plaintiff has discovered the
fraud, concealment or mistake (as the
case may be) or could with reasonable
diligence have discovered it.
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dem fuuckahs reach in office fuss ting dem do is try to build a case against manning for Sat radio license .....steups........all d while sitting on dey hands on this matter look now.........more in d mortar......or jus plain incompetance...........they claimed they were gathering evidence before the election and would be ready to go once elected, what happen now
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LOL
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Perhaps more importantly is the lack of any criminal charges laid against any of those alleged to have engaged in corruption. The government led by the AG has a proclivity for initiating civil proceedings . Pre action letter after after pre- action letter have been sent out in my view just to harrass people. They just not serious.
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These newspapers and them need to consult with attorneys before they start offering opinions on legal matters. All they doing is adding to the confusion that is inherent to most of these litigation.
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Udecott to spend $19b on 74 projects
By Geisha Kowlessar (Guardian).
Published: Tuesday, May 7, 2013.
The Urban Development Corporation (Udecott) currently has a mandate of 74 projects, costing just over $19 billion. So said Jearlean John as she was reappointed as the company’s chairman at a brief ceremony at the Hyatt Regency, Port-of-Spain, yesterday. Saying board members were “really taking care of Udecott’s business,” John pointed out that the organisation no longer made the front pages of the newspapers in a negative way.
“It is not by guess we have taken ourselves off the front pages. Udecott will continue to diligently deliver on its mandate,” John added. Udecott was the subject of the Uff commission of enquiry, which tabled 91 recommendations. John said 45 of these directly applied to Udecott and all were implemented. Saying during her initial tenure she led a major overhaul of all systems and procedures John said all of Udecott’s projects were now subject to open policy tender.
“Udecott has hired highly qualified and experienced staff and new departments have been established. “Udecott has a new tenders committee, of which I chose not to be a part and for the very first time in the company’s history a procurement department was established with a manager and procurement officers hired,” John added. Also for the first time, she said, the company had a facilities management department.
To ensure the post of chairman and CEO were kept separate, John said the office of the CEO was reintroduced so there was no conflict of interest and overlap of duties and also to ensure that transparency was always maintained. “The processes and procedures for the construction records and document management and finance departments were revamped and/or overhauled, including the introduction of new IT systems and technologies,” John added.
Senior project managers and legal officers also attended training sessions in April and May last year. Outlining some of Udecott’s projects over the last two years, John said those included:
• Relocating Parliament to Tower D at The Waterfront Complex, which was done within time and budget
• Retrofitting the Chancery Lane Administrative Complex into the new San Fernando Teaching Hospital
• Starting construction of eight state-of-the-art police stations
• Embarking on fitting out the government campus plaza which has a total of 1,363,624 square feet of space.
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Hart to return for $500m lawsuit
By Shaliza Hassanali (Guardian).
Sunday, April 13, 2014
Attorney General Anand Ramlogan yesterday warned that former executive chairman of the Urban Development Corporation of T&T (Udecott) Calder Hart will be hunted down and arrested if he fails to return to T&T for criminal and civil suits in which he is a key figure. The AG said Hart has given a commitment to testify in court. He said “by this week or next week” Hart’s matter will come up for “case management with directions to be given for a trial.”
Hart has been living in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, since he resigned from Udecott and left the country in 2010. Ramlogan said one claim by the State is for $500 million for the mismanagement of the Brian Lara Cricket Stadium at Tarouba. Civil proceedings started after the Uff Commission of Enquiry report, which called for the police to probe Hart for allegedly misspending billions of dollars in Udecott projects across the country.
Defendants in the case include Hart, former Udecott deputy chairman Krishna Bahadoorsingh, former financial manager Ricardo O’Brien and former corporate secretary Neelanda Rampaul. “Mr Hart has in fact been located and has been communicating through his lawyers, and at the appropriate time, will have to come to testify and be cross-examined in court,” Ramlogan said.
The AG said on every occasion that the matter has come up before Justice Andre des Vignes, Hart’s attorneys have communicated with the judge and State attorneys. He is being represented in the matter by Dr Lloyd Barnett QC of Jamaica. Ramlogan said Hart has indicated through his legal team that “he is available and will not evade the jurisdiction of court and will submit himself for cross-examination when the trial begins”.
He said the decision on how soon the matter will start lies in the hands of the judge who has to set a trial date.
“But I made a plea to the judiciary to treat these matters with the urgency they deserve because they involve serious allegations of misuse and corruption of public funds,” Ramlogan said. “My only worry is that the judicial process is very slow. This matter should be given priority.”
Ramlogan said when the trial starts, should Hart evade the jurisdiction of the court, “we will invoke the procedures to compel him to present himself before the court, including asking for his arrest if necessary, but that is academic because thus far he has been communicating through his legal team.”
When the matter comes up on the next occasion, Ramlogan said, the judge will give directions for filing of witness statements, following which he will give a date for trial. Hart will then have to appear in court to testify and be cross-examined. The AG said he is confident of the State’s chances of success in this matter.
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Ramlogan said when the trial starts, should Hart evade the jurisdiction of the court, “we will invoke the procedures to compel him to present himself before the court, including asking for his arrest if necessary, but that is academic because thus far he has been communicating through his legal team.”
When the matter comes up on the next occasion, Ramlogan said, the judge will give directions for filing of witness statements, following which he will give a date for trial. Hart will then have to appear in court to testify and be cross-examined. The AG said he is confident of the State’s chances of success in this matter.
Yep, because we have really good relations with the US Government.
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Ramlogan said when the trial starts, should Hart evade the jurisdiction of the court, “we will invoke the procedures to compel him to present himself before the court, including asking for his arrest if necessary, but that is academic because thus far he has been communicating through his legal team.”
When the matter comes up on the next occasion, Ramlogan said, the judge will give directions for filing of witness statements, following which he will give a date for trial. Hart will then have to appear in court to testify and be cross-examined. The AG said he is confident of the State’s chances of success in this matter.
Yep, because we have really good relations with the US Government.
Doh worry, Plan B is extraordinary rendition. :devil:
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Hmmm what about Ish and Ferguson????
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Hmmm what about Ish and Ferguson????
Unless d marines land they eh going a place.Legally they cannot be extradited because the good AG did not appeal the judges decision which said they were not going to be extradited.
All of all yuh u vote 4 d PP all yuh did really expect them 2 extradite dem fellas? That was not thought bout when all yuh did vote.
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Stumbling block in Calder Hart case: Key file lost
By Derek Achong (Guardian).
The Urban Development Corporation of T&T’s (Udecott) inability to locate documents critical to its multi-million dollar lawsuit against its former executive chairman Calder Hart and three of its former executives, may potentially weaken its chances of successfully proving its alleged negligence in the management of a controversial mega-project.
The issue arose when the claim seeking to recover almost $65 million for its alleged breach of fiduciary duties in relation to the still incomplete Brian Lara Cricket Academy (BLCA), came up for hearing before Justice Andre des Vignes in the Port-of-Spain High Court yesterday.
Attorneys representing Udecott, Hart and the former executives — former chief operating officer Neelanda Rampaul, former vice-chairman Dr Krishna Bahadoorsingh and executive manager, Business and Financial Operations, Ricardo O’Brien — were initially scheduled to come together at yesterday’s hearing to decide on a trial date for the case.
But when the matter was called, attorneys for the former executives indicated their counterparts representing Udecott had failed to comply with deadlines for disclosing key evidence in the claim, set by Des Vignes and the Appeal Court during previous hearings in December and earlier this year. The attorneys indicated that without the documents, including a special report into the operations of Udecott in managing the projects, it would be difficult for them to plan their clients’ defences.
“I can’t prepare a case in a vacuum,” Bahadoorsingh’s attorney Colin Kangaloo said. Despite Des Vignes’s suggestion that they proceed with their submissions in preparation for the pending trial while awaiting the results of Udecott’s ongoing search for the documents, the attorneys held firm to their position that they could not continue until the issue was dealt with. In the lawsuit, Udecott alleges that the executives breached their duty to exercise skill, care and diligence in the management of the BLCA project.
Since it was filed in May 2012, the lawsuit has been hit with several delays, caused by two ammendments to the initial claim, as well as several procedural applications for both parties.
Searches continue
Conceived in 1999, the stadium, part of the Tarouba Sporting Complex, was expected to be completed in time to host matches for the 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup at the cost of $500 million. A combination of multiple delays, cost overruns and increases in the price of building materials led the final cost of the project skyrocketing to almost twice its original estimate. The money Udecott is seeking to recover, $65,680,978.88, represents the balance of the advance payments made to contractor Hafeez Karamath Ltd for the project.
In response, Udecott’s lawyer Lesley Ann Lucky-Samaroo indicated she and her team had already done extensive searches of their client’s records and were only able to disclose the documents they were able to locate. She also denied her client’s inability to find the documents was a deliberate ploy in the case. Des Vignes did not seem to be satisfied with their efforts.
“We accept your best intentions but they have not searched everywhere. Therefore, there are still a few places that can be searched,” he said. During a hearing of the case in December last year, Des Vignes gave Udecott instructions on what documents should be disclosed and a timeline for doing so, while warning that sanctions would be applied for non-compliance with his order.
After lengthy discussions on the issue yesterday, the executives’ attorneys agreed to file submissions on the possible legal sanctions for Udecott, which they initially said may include striking out segments of the corporation’s case where the missing documents were referenced.
At the end of the hearing, the attorneys for the executives asked if their clients needed to be present at the next hearing of the case - a requirement under the Civil Proceedings Rules 1998 -, which Des Vignes chose to dispense with when attorneys agreed that the clients’ presence was not necessary until the trial began. Lucky-Samaroo chose not oppose the application for the waiver. The case will be next heard on September 17.
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Roll a Udecott head!
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Tell them people who voted; Weary tell them- now they want to keep raising up another story /issue to deflect from the chupidness that happening with governance
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Hyatt $.3B for Udecott
By JULIEN NEAVES Wednesday, June 11 2014
ATTORNEY General Anand Ramlogan said yesterday that Government has emerged successful from a three-year arbitration between the Hyatt Regency Trinidad and State-owned Urban Development Company (Udecott) with the international hotel chain paying out $334 million owed to the company.
AG Ramlogan said the settling of the arbitration, “has saved us a protracted legal battle that would have cost this country over $10 million in a legal budget to get this resolved.” He reported that Udecott has confirmed receipt of the monies and it will be used to complete public infrastructure projects.
“Today, I am pleased to advise that after difficult and complex negotiations, we have achieved a settlement pursuant to which a multi-party agreement was signed on June, 2 2004. Hyatt has agreed to pay Udecott the sum of $334,185,703.19 (inclusive of accrued interest and legal costs) which has been outstanding since 2008,” he said.
Ramlogan spoke on the arbitration in a statement to the Senate yesterday at Tower D, International Waterfront Centre, Port-of-Spain. He noted this was another successfully resolved multi-million dollar international arbitration under his supervision and management, reminding the Senate of Government’s victories in the Offshore Patrol Vessel arbitration and the World GTL arbitration.
He reported that on February 4, 2011, Hyatt issued a request for arbitration against Udecott. The dispute arose out of a hotel management agreement dated July 27, 2005 between Udecott and Hyatt for construction and subsequent management and operation of the Hyatt Hotel in Port-of-Spain.
Ramlogan explained that under this agreement Udecott agreed to finance and construct a first class hotel “entirely at its own cost” and the hotel was then to be managed and operated by Hyatt in return for a fee. The remainder of the hotel’s income after allowing for expenditure, reasonable running costs and Hyatt’s fee, was to be remitted to Udecott as a monthly Owner’s distribution.
Ramlogan pointed out that a key point of dispute arose from the fact that Udecott assigned its leasehold interest in the land on which the hotel was located to Port-of-Spain Waterfront Development Limited (“the Waterfront Company”). The Waterfront company purchased the land through a mortgage with Wells Fargo Bank Northwest National Association and sub-leased the land to the Government.
“Unfortunately and inexplicably, Udecott’s (then) executive chairman Calder Hart negligently failed to procure at the time of transferring the leasehold to the Waterfront Company (and) Udecott did not procure the appropriate non-disturbance agreements from the Waterfront company and Wells Fargo as required under the hotel management agreement. This non-disturbance clause was an obvious requirement for an international hotel. Indeed, it was considered a mandatory requirement,” Ramlogan explained.
He said this “negligent omission” on the part of the Calder Hart-led board at Udecott resulted in Hyatt refusing to pay the State company any money in accordance with the terms and conditions of the hotel management agreement.
“This severely compromised Udecott’s cash flow and financial position for many years as hundreds of millions of dollars in anticipated income from the Hyatt never materialised,” Ramlogan reported.
Hyatt, which had not paid UDeCOTT any money since 2008, triggered the arbitration clause in the agreement by issuing a request for arbitration on February 4, 2011 and Toronto, Canada was the venue for the arbitration hearing.
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HDC, Udecott on board for Las Alturas probe
By Anna-Lisa Paul (Guardian).
As the commission of enquiry into the $40 million Las Alturas housing project held its procedural hearing yesterday, several people were ordered to be made parties to the proceedings by chairman Mustapha Ibrahim.
Among them was structural engineer Steve Kistow who was deemed an “important witness” and officials of the project contractor China Gansu International Corporation (CGIC).
Both had declined to attend the hearing, despite having been invited by attorneys representing the commission.
The hearing took place at the Caribbean Court of Justice, Henry Street, Port-of-Spain. Pamela Elder, SC, and Jagdeo Singh, instructed by Alvin Pariagsingh are representing the commission.
Indicating the willingness by the Housing Development Corporation (HDC) and the Urban Development Corporation of T&T (Udecott) to be listed as parties to the proceedings, Elder said other organisations invited to attend yesterday’s hearing included Geotech Associates Ltd, C E Management and Services Ltd (CEMAS), S Kistow Engineering Services, and Planning Associates Ltd (PAL).
Vincent Nelson, QC, and Larry Lalla are representing the HDC, while Katherine Denbow appeared on behalf of Udecott.
Both sets of attorneys indicated their clients intentions to co-operate with the commission, while Martin Andrews of Geotech Associates Ltd and Ian Telfer of C E Management and Services Ltd confirmed their willingness to participate in the proceedings, respectively.
Requesting Ibrahim to hold off on making a decision about whether or not Planning Associates Ltd (PAL) should be made a party to the proceedings, Elder said they were still reviewing documents received last Friday to determine if they should be called as a commission witness.
“We have looked closely at the summary of the events outlined in the letter submitted by PAL.
“In the circumstances, I would kindly request if no petition is made today with respect to PAL being made a party to the proceedings,” she said.
Elder added: “We would like to give the most detailed consideration to the documents submitted by PAL and make a determination whether it would be in the best interest of the enquiry whether PAL is called as the commission witness.”
Representing PAL, Winston Riley sought clarification from the commission chairman on what exactly it meant to be a “party to the proceedings” and what rights were afforded to such named people.
Ibrahim later explained that such a person was entitled to an audience before the commission, to examine and cross-examine witnesses, and make submissions.
Labelling his organisation a “voluntary witness,” Riley said they were prepared to co-operate fully and hand over any documents which may be required.
He was later cautioned by Ibrahim that his utterances were bordering on the realm of evidence.
Ibrahim assured him that they would be granted an opportunity to speak if it was determined that they should be made a party to the proceedings.
Addressing the issue of Kistow’s non-appearance as he claimed he had been hired by CEMAS, Elder said he played a “very important role” in the project.
Invited to briefly elaborate on this by Ibrahim, Elder listed, in chronological order, dates and times of site visits, meetings and subsequent reports and recommendations.
She said although the company S Kistow Engineering Services was contracted to complete the design, “Steve Kistow is the structural engineer whose stamp appears on the drawings.”
Elder said Kistow owed an independent duty, as well as a statutory duty under the Engineering Act of T&T, to appear before the commission and would also be able to advise on the procedures adopted during the project.
Seeking to underscore the importance of Kistow appearing before the commission, Elder presented excerpts from various site meetings, dating as far back as 2009, in which the question of soil stability first arose, changes were made to the building alterations and retaining wall design, and cracks first began appearing in the retaining wall south of Building H.
Requesting at least two weeks to file their witness statements, Nelson said they had a total of seven witnesses lined up but that arrangements would have to be made to ensure those abroad could be available for the next hearing.
Among them is former managing director of the HDC Noel Garcia who now lives in Ghana.
Denbow indicated that Udecott’s lone witness so far, project engineer Atiba de Souza, was in T&T.
Telfer and Andrews each assured Ibrahim that they too would be ready to proceed.
Elder requested that the next hearing, scheduled for February 2, be vacated as they were expecting a huge volume of material to be analysed.
Following submissions from all parties present, Ibrahim adjourned the enquiry to a date to be fixed.
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$400m Red House repair starts in March
By Shaliza Hassanali (Guardian)
Government will pump $400 million into restoration work on the controversial Red House project by the end of March.
The Urban Development Corporation of T&T (Udecott) has already spent $110 million on consultancy and construction work on the historical building, which remains unfinished.
Work on the Red House began 19 years ago, with Udecott assuming responsibility for the project in 2005.
To bring the project to a close, Udecott will inject a further $381 million on construction of a Parliamentary Complex—phase two—taking the total figure for the iconic building to a whopping $891 million.
Confirmation came from chairman of Udecott Noel Garcia at his Sackville Street, Port-of-Spain, office on Monday.
Sitting in the company of Udecott’s chief operations officer Abena Richards, Garcia revealed that public tenders for the restoration project went out last June.
Of the ten companies that submitted bids, Garcia said only three had pre-qualified.
“Those tenders have been evaluated. A decision is to be made before the end of the week as to how we are to proceed.
“A recommendation will come to the board on Wednesday. I expect we will have to sit and negotiate with the preferred contractor. This has to go to Cabinet for approval. We are talking about another two months. I suspect restoration work will start on the Red House by the end of March,” Garcia disclosed.
Garcia estimated the cost of the project at “$340 million to $400 million,” to be completed in 2018.
Since 1997, Garcia said, the Red House was earmarked to be restored, but this had been hindered by delays.
Once completed, Garcia said, Udecott would move to construction of the Parliamentary Complex on the northern side of the Red House to house administrative staff, a library, offices for MPs and other staff.
Richards said the complex’s “current base building cost” exclusive of outfitting costs and Value Added Tax (VAT) is estimated at $346.1 million “without contingency.”
With contingency-exclusive of VAT, Richards estimated the cost at $381.1 million.
Richards disclosed that the design work for the Parliamentary Complex “was ongoing right now. Once that is complete then we will go out for tender and then construction.”
Richards also gave a breakdown of the ten companies which were paid “thus far” by Udecott for consultancy and construction work on the Red House, which amounted to $110 million exclusive of VAT.
The largest payment went to Canadian firm Genivar Ltd who collected $26.7 million. Genivar was contracted to renovate and refurbish the southern and mid-section of the Red House, which was expected to house the Office of the Prime Minister.
The next biggest payment went to Bernard Mackay Architect/Saraiva e Associados, SA Joint Venture, with $23.4 million.
Enco Ltd was paid the least with $1.6 million.
Garcia: Project faced with administrative confusion
Garcia said that given the technical nature of the “plaster of paris” works to be undertaken on the ceiling of the Red House, masonry and ironmongery skills would be required.
“So whoever gets the restoration contract must have technical assistance from foreign firms,” Garcia said.
Asked what delayed work on the historical building, Garcia said: “There were a number of issues.”
Among them were administrative changes, budgetary constraints, and changes in the scope of works.
Another setback occurred in 2014, following the discovery of bones and cultural artefacts during an excavation phase at the Red House, Garcia said.
“To a certain extent there was a bit of administrative confusion or ambiguity as to what should have been done. Then there were technical issues and hurdles. Restoration requires specialists. It was not a case of simply going out there to restore it. You have to get people who can understand what needs to be done. Then you have to reduce it into a brief and then tender. So those were factors that delayed the project,” Garcia said.
He said whenever a new administration came into power the project changed direction.
Garcia said when then prime minister Patrick Manning was in power there were plans to move the prime minister’s office to the Red House.
“That plan fell through the cracks when the Kamla Persad-Bissessar-led government came into office in 2010, which saw the Red House being relocated to the Waterfront (International Financial Centre, Tower D). It took a different turn.
“There was a lot of to-ing and fro-ing,” said Garcia.
“It has been a long time. It became almost like a football. It started with Nipdec then it went to the Ministry of Works. After that it was in abeyance. Then it landed in Udecott’s hands,” Garcia said.
Yesterday, in response to a text message, former leader of government business Dr Roodal Moonilal said to his knowledge the then People’s Partnership government did not pay Udecott—the landlord—a rent when the Red House shifted from Port-of-Spain to the Waterfront in 2011 “since it was a government building not private owners.”
Cadiz speaks
Former trade and industry minister Stephen Cadiz, in a 2011 Sunday Guardian article, disclosed that repairs and renovations to the Red House over the last eight years had cost taxpayers $200 million and citizens had not seen value for money.
Cadiz read a report coming out of a Joint Select Committee in the House of Representatives. Cadiz, who chaired a five-member committee appointed by Cabinet, said the first report raised serious concerns about the building.
The former Chaguanas East MP described the work by Udecott as a “botched job. The money has already been spent. We can’t recover any of it.”
Cadiz said ad hoc renovations had resulted in a number of problems, mainly modification of the building’s original design while there was lack of maintenance, leaks in the roof, insect infestation and deterioration of the building’s architectural structure.
He described the building as “untenable” stating that the committee had looked at three options for the Red House.
• The first was that restoration be done on a phased basis while Parliament conducted its affairs.
• The committee also considered the relocation of the entire Parliament to another building.
• The third option was a partial relocation, which Cadiz said was a recipe for disaster.
It was against this backdrop, Cadiz said, the committee recommended that necessary steps be taken to restore the Red House to a safe and healthy environment as a matter of urgency.
“Therefore, option two was the preferred choice by the committee, which is the relocation of the entire Parliament,” Cadiz said.
n See story in tomorrow’s paper: Economists okay with Govt spending on Red House, but want value for money
ABOUT THE RED HOUSE
Built in 1844, the Red House is the seat of Parliament for T&T. The current structure was built after the original government administration building was destroyed by fire in 1903. The new building was intended to house the Legislative Chamber and the offices of the governor, the Attorney General, the colonial treasurer and the law courts. The design was revised by public draughtsman Daniel Hahn and it was he who added the high central cupola popularly known as the Rotunda, the ornate stucco ceilings in the southern and northern chambers, and the fortifications around the roof.
Contractors/consultants paid by udecott
List of contractors/consultants paid by Udecott for consultancy and construction of the Red House. Prices are VAT exclusive:
• Alpha Engineering and Design (2002) Ltd $16,199,006.19
• Amcoweld Engineering Services Ltd $17,383,657.53
• Bynoe Rowe Wiltshire Partnership $10,636,001.40
• CEP Ltd $4,145,807.01
• Enco Ltd $1,683,189.19
• Evergreene Pain Ting Studios, Inc $2,322,672.26
• Genivar Ltd $26,704,090.62
• North Country Slate $2,381,807.92
• Adam’s Project Management & Construction Ltd $4,659,908.19
• Bernard Mackay Architect/Saraiva e Associados, SA Joint Venture $23,456,388.75
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Judge throws out Udecott case against Hart.
By Jada Loutoo (Newsday).
A high court judge has struck out a multi-million dollar claim against former Udecott chairman and three of the State company’s former directors.
In May 2012, Udecott filed the breach of fiduciary duty claim against Hart, Krishna Bahadoorsingh, Ricardo O’Brien and Neelanda Rampaul.
Hart and Bahadoorsingh filed an application to have the claim automatically struck out on the basis that Udecott did not apply to the judge hearing the case to have a case management hearing fixed after defences had been filed.
Justice David Harris’ ruling on Monday was in keeping with the guidelines set out in the National Gas Company’s claim against Super Industrial Services under rule 27.3 (4) of the Civil Proceedings Rules.
As a result of Harris’ ruling, Udecott’s claim against Hart and the others has been struck out.
He has, however, permitted the company to file an application for relief from sanctions to reinstate the matter. This must be done by February 21. He has also ordered Udecott to pay Hart and Bahadoorsingh’s costs, to be assessed.
In his written decision, Harris pointed out the application by Hart and Bahadoorsingh were filed on September 11 and October 16, 2017, approximately four years after the filing of the last defences.
He said according to the rules, with the last defence having been filed on May 15, 2013, the first case management hearing should have been fixed by May 29, of that year. With this not having been done, when rule 27.3 (4) was applied, the claim stood automatically struck out as at June, 13.
A satellite issue involving the $65 million claim was also listed for hearing in the Court of Appeal on Monday where Udecott appealed the striking out of several portions of the lawsuit against Hart and the others. It was adjourned pending Harris’ ruling, and will again come up on Monday.
Udecott’s claim sought to recover almost $65 million for alleged breaches of fiduciary duties in relation to the Brian Lara Cricket Academy.
Since it was filed in May 2012, the lawsuit has been hit with several delays, caused by two amendments to the initial claim as well as several procedural applications by both parties.
Conceived in 1999, the stadium, was expected to be completed at the cost of $500 million. A combination of multiple delays, costs overruns and increases in the price of building materials led to the final cost skyrocketing to almost twice its original estimate. The money Udecott is seeking to recover, represents the balance of advance payments made to the contractor for the project.
Udecott is represented by attorneys Darmendra Punwasee and Daryll Allahar. Attorney Annabelle Sooklal represented Hart, while Bahadoorsingh was represented by Colin Kangaloo and Anthony Bullock and Imran Ali represented O’Brien and Rampaul.
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Udecott explains leak
T&T Guardian Reports.
The Urban Development Company of Trinidad and Tobago (Udecott) has explained the reason for a leak in the Red House on Tuesday.
Udecott issued a statement Tuesday night saying that "due to a broken rubber seal on the aluminum flashing in the skylight of the rotunda, there was a leak with today's rainfall."
The statement added that "this matter is being rectified by the contractor. It falls within the defects liability period of one year and will be fixed at no additional cost to taxpayers."
RELATED NEWS
Udecott head after Red House leaks: ‘I’m 100% satisfied’
By Andrew Gioannetti (Newsday).
NOEL Garcia, chairman of the Urban Development Corporation (Udecott), says he could not be more satisfied with work done by all contractors on the $441 million Red House restoration.
The Red House on Abercromby Street, Port of Spain, formally opened on Friday with a gala ceremony. However, on Tuesday, considerable leaks became apparent during heavy rain.
Newsday visited the Red House on Wednesday and saw a representative of Udecott and several contracted workers on the ground and rooftop, none of whom were willing to speak to the media.
Garcia was subsequently contacted to comment on when the repairs should be complete.
He said: "I wouldn't know. Unfortunately, I'm not an architect (or) engineer. But I will find out, because I cannot answer that off the bat.
Garcia was also asked if he was satisfied with Construction Services and Supplies Ltd, the contractor for the roof, which cost $21.1 million, and all the other contractors.
He replied: "Of course, 100 per cent satisfied."
The two leaks, in the rotunda and senate chamber, he said, was not of major concern since Udecott will not be responsible for the
repairs, as the problem arose during the one-year defects liability period. He compared it to warranties which comes with the purchase of new vehicles.
"Why are people getting so excited? When you buy a car from Toyota, don't you get a defects liability period? Because you can expect that within that time, defects may arise and those defects are dealt with.
"If you buy a Mercedes-Benz or a Rolls Royce, (they have) defects liability periods, because you expect in that period, things may go wrong."
The public, he said, is getting carried away with sensational news, instead of celebrating success, such as the opening of the Red House.
"You know, I just find in this country, we just not seeming to celebrate success. All we celebrate is negative things.
"So, in a capsule: we will fix it (the roof). We will fix it, in a matter of, I would say, if not today, then, hopefully, by tomorrow," said Garcia.