Soca Warriors Online Discussion Forum
General => General Discussion => Topic started by: AirMan on March 24, 2010, 10:14:35 PM
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Canadian unionists on TTRA:
It will not get rid of corruption
There is likely to be more corruption in the proposed T&T Revenue Authority (TTRA). This is the view of two Canadian trade unionists who were in T&T last week on an invitation from the Public Services Association (PSA). Betty Bannon, president, Union of Taxation Employee (UTE), a component of the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSA-C), said many of the issues that the Government is looking at, the Canadian government was also looking at in the 1990s. “Our government was looking at similar things, just like the T&T Government is looking at things like greater efficiency, the words are almost identical out of your Government’s mouth. The only thing is that there was no reference to corruption by our government,” Bannon said. She said creating a new agency will not automatically get rid of corruption.
Read the rest http://guardian.co.tt/business/business-guardian/2010/03/11/it-will-not-get-rid-corruption-bg
http://www.youtube.com/v/J4A2WbHqdss
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Canadian unionists on TTRA:
It will not get rid of corruption
There is likely to be more corruption in the proposed T&T Revenue Authority (TTRA). This is the view of two Canadian trade unionists who were in T&T last week on an invitation from the Public Services Association (PSA). Betty Bannon, president, Union of Taxation Employee (UTE), a component of the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSA-C), said many of the issues that the Government is looking at, the Canadian government was also looking at in the 1990s. “Our government was looking at similar things, just like the T&T Government is looking at things like greater efficiency, the words are almost identical out of your Government’s mouth. The only thing is that there was no reference to corruption by our government,” Bannon said. She said creating a new agency will not automatically get rid of corruption.
Read the rest http://guardian.co.tt/business/business-guardian/2010/03/11/it-will-not-get-rid-corruption-bg
http://www.youtube.com/v/J4A2WbHqdss
lol...once yuh talking about T&T custom officers..yuh better put that word in.
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Society of corruption
By ALEXANDER BRUZUAL Saturday, March 20 2010
Trinidad and Tobago (TT) has been described as “a society of corruption” by TT Transparency Institute (TTTI) chairman Victor Hart after ranking 72 out of 180 countries in the annual Global Corruption Report of Transparency International.
During a breakfast meeting yesterday at the Hyatt Regency, Port-of-Spain, Hart said the public may seem complacent to corruption because it was “commonplace” in society.
“We have all grown up in a society of high corruption on an everyday basis. There are everyday instances of where we (as a people) facilitate payments to get goods cleared on ports, or get building plans approved, or install WASA connections.
Read the rest http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/0,117633.html
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By Anna Ramdass anna.ramdass@trinidadexpress.com
The scandals and corrupt practices of the former People's National Movement (PNM) administration have attributed to this country being ranked at its most corrupt point ever by the Transparency International, says Government Minister Dr Roodal Moonilal.
Trinidad and Tobago has been ranked at 91 out of 183 on TI Corruption Perception Index, the lowest ranking it has ever received.
Moonilal, in a statement to the Parliament at Tower D, Waterfront Centre, Port of Spain yesterday said the Government has taken notice of TI report and was cognisant of the "conversations" that were generated as a result.
"We have also studied the perception index and can establish a direct link between this Government's work in uncovering and revealing many issues revolving around serious allegations of corruption by the former administration," said Moonilal.
He named some of these contentious issues such as the Urban Development Corporation of Trinidad and Tobago (UDeCOTT), the Clico and Hindu Credit Union matter, eTeck, Petrotrin, the sale of BWIA slots, University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT), scholarship fund inequity and the purchase of three multi-million Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPV's).
"This Government continues to unearth and unravel many issues causing great concern to us, and many times these issues will be fully ventilated in the public domain- and once such issues are mainstreamed, it becomes an issue of public perception- regardless of which administration would have been the perpetrators," said Moonilal.
He added that one must note the time period of the perception report which treats with information compiled from December 2009.
He said the People's Partnership Government has been working to clean up the corruption.
He added that recommendations of the Uff Commission are being implemented.
Moonilal said a steering committee was established to oversee the implementation of the recommendations.
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One month after graduating with an Executive Master’s of Business Administration (EMBA) post-graduate degree from the Arthur Lok Jack Graduate School of Business (GSB), the school’s executive director Miguel Carrillo wrote House Speaker Wade Mark asking that he contact him urgently on a matter that had arisen at the business school.
Continuing Express investigations have also unearthed e-mail exchanges between director Miguel Carrillo and programme director Brian Ghent following Mark’s October 25 graduation from the institution.
In an e-mail dated November 20, Carrillo wrote Mark stating: “I would like you to contact me urgently on a matter that has arisen at the business school. We would also like to have a private and confidential e-mail address and a physical address that we can use to send you a formal letter.”
The correspondence was copied to acting academic director, Dr Ron Sookram, Ghent and director of academic development, Kamla Mungal.
In his response, Ghent said: “I think that is the right thing to do as well as to protect ALJ (Arthur Lok Jack Graduate School of Business) from any questions being raised. I think it takes real courage to do this, to try and right the wrong.”
Carrillo responded saying: “I agree with you. I spoke to the student already and we are getting the ball rolling.”
Contacted yesterday to ascertain exactly what the school needed to speak to Mark about, Carrillo indicated he was in a meeting and the Express should “call back within an hour”.
Efforts to reach Carrillo twice thereafter failed as he did not answer his cell phone.
The Express has in its possession e-mails that were also exchanged following Mark being awarded the degree, with concerns being raised over his lack of course work being submitted.
The exchanges were between Carrillo, Ghent, learning assurance officer (EMBA and MBA SEM) Kavita Siewraj, lecturer and programme director Balraj Kistow, Mungal and first examiner Howard Dottin.
In fact, when queries were conducted into how Mark was assessed, the concerns were directed to Carrillo.
On October 31, an e-mail written by Ghent to Kistow, stated: “I refer to your e-mail dated September 25th to Kavita Siewraj directing her to award Mr Mark a Course Work mark of 28/40.”
Ghent then asked that the particular assignment that constituted the course work, the assessment criteria which formed the basis of the mark awarded, Mark’s assessed performance against this criteria, the submitted text/script/project, the date the course work was assigned, the date the assignment was submitted be shown to him (Ghent).
Ghent also asked Kistow to account for why and under what circumstances and authority “you recommended that he (Mark) be nominated for graduation”.
In responding to Ghent, Kistow copied his response to Sookram stating he had acted under the “authority and direction of the executive director. As such, I would suggest that on this matter that you consult with the executive director for any information”.
Twenty-two minutes later, Ghent informed Kistow he would take his advice, but only on the issue of the recommendation, but he still wanted the information pertaining to Mark’s assessment.
On November 5, in a detailed response to Kistow and copied to Sookram, Ghent said he did not understand why he ought to communicate with Carrillo, since the course is being conducted under him and as such all matters relating to students engaged in the course is open to him.
Ghent also questioned why such matters relating to Mark is “sensitive”.
Ghent then wrote to Carrillo seeking an audience with him to discuss the matter. This was copied to Sookram. To date, Carrillo is yet to respond, sources say.
On November 13, Ghent submitted his resignation letter to Sookram.
His letter stated: “In keeping with several discussions we had, I believe it is important that I record here my deepest concern with the circumstances surrounding the award of the EMBA degree to Mr Wade Mark, as well as, the subsequent responses to me since I raised the matter.”
Ghent’s resignation comes on the heels of e-mails between senior officials at the GSB which indicate that Mark did not fulfil all the requirements for his Executive Management Business Administration (EMBA) degree.
The e-mails suggest that concessions were made by the graduate school to accommodate Mark and in some cases revealed that Mark did not complete several core course work which would have enabled him to graduate.
Mark has denied that he did not complete his course work.
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Dethroned
By Verdel Bishop
Miss World/Trinidad and Tobago 2013 Shereece Villafana has been stripped of her crown.
A press release yesterday from the Miss World Trinidad and Tobago Organisation, headed by director Athalia Samuel stated: “This dethronement has become necessary as a result of unsettling reports brought to the attention of the organisation.
“These reports concern conduct that is not in keeping with the high moral and ethical obligations the Miss World Trinidad and Tobago Organisation strives to maintain,” the release stated.
When contacted by the Express, Samuel confirmed that Villafana, who represented T&T at the Miss World Pageant a month ago at the Bali Nusa Dua Convention Centre in Bali, Indonesia, was formally released from her responsibilities as Trinidad and Tobago’s Miss World representative.
Samuel said the decision to strip Villafana of her crown came after the organisation received a letter from the Office of the Prime Minister informing them that Villafana received $200,000 in sponsorship money to help with preparations for the Miss World pageant.
Samuel said Villafana received the money without informing the Miss World Trinidad and Tobago Organisation.
“Prior to leaving for the pageant, I asked various agencies and organisations for sponsorship and every time I asked for assistance they would respond that they already gave money, which I found to be strange because we never received any money,” said Samuel.
“I didn’t know what they were talking about and at times I felt embarrassed because I had no knowledge of receiving any of the monies they said they gave. I eventually questioned Shereece about receiving any monies, which she denied.
“Eventually, we received sponsorship through various events, as well as from a company in London who eventually paid for our airfare, hotel accommodation and spending money.
“Before we left to go to Miss World in Indonesia, there was some disturbing information that we were aware of but we were not able to confirm anything before leaving. After initially denying that she received $200,000 from the Office of the Prime Minister, Shereece eventually admitted during our recent post-mortem meeting to receiving the money after I showed her the letter from the Office of the Prime Minister.
“Her reply was, ‘So what, everybody tells lies’.
“What Shereece did was dishonest and embarrassing to the Miss World Trinidad and Tobago Organisation. She has to account for the money she received. The contract clearly tells you that all monies that you receive should be handed over to the organiser, that is the person responsible for your affairs and getting you prepared for the pageant,” Samuel said.
“We still have people to pay for her dress and so forth and little tokens that the Miss World Trinidad and Tobago Organisation wants to send out for the people who helped us.”
When contacted, Villafana had no comment to make on the matter.
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Dethroned
By Verdel Bishop
“Her reply was, ‘So what, everybody tells lies’.
:rotfl: brazen brazen
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Dethroned
By Verdel Bishop
“Her reply was, ‘So what, everybody tells lies’.
:rotfl: brazen brazen
ENT
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PNM Baby
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Dethroned
By Verdel Bishop
“Her reply was, ‘So what, everybody tells lies’.
:rotfl: brazen brazen
ENT
The so called leaders of the country droppin it bold bold same way..and gettin troo nicely
twas only a matter of time before regular folks take de cue.
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Dethroned
By Verdel Bishop
“Her reply was, ‘So what, everybody tells lies’.
:rotfl: brazen brazen
ENT
The so called leaders of the country droppin it bold bold same way..and gettin troo nicely
twas only a matter of time before regular folks take de cue.
U mean PNM people
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Dethroned
By Verdel Bishop
“Her reply was, ‘So what, everybody tells lies’.
:rotfl: brazen brazen
WTF!!!???
What I don't understand is how she get all dis money and it wasn't unknown. You'd thin the govt. would want to get some PR for it. Give them credit they didn't lie when asked.
"Everybody tells lies." Nah...SMH... well if she didn't want to respond, she look for what happens thereafter. She can't say the Press didn't give her a chance to clear herself.
VB
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ANXIOUS’ MARK
...House Speaker threatens to sue ‘Express’, University officials explain why House Speaker received EMBA exam concessions
By Denyse Renne denyse.renne@trinidadexpress.com
Story Created: Nov 27, 2013 at 10:56 PM ECT
Story Updated: Nov 28, 2013 at 8:38 AM ECT
House Speaker Wade Mark was allowed to sit in a room by himself to complete his final Executive Masters of Business Administration (EMBA) degree exam because he may have been anxious.
This was the explanation given yesterday by University of the West Indies (UWI) Principal Prof Clement Sankat, executive director of the Arthur Lok Jack Graduate School of Business (GSB) Miguel Carrillo and Dean of the Faculty of Social Science, Errol Sims.
The three officials were interviewed yesterday by the Express at GSB’s Mt Hope offices at their request.
In seeking to clear the air on the circumstances surrounding Mark’s graduation, the trio admitted that Mark was granted two concessions, having failed the Management Accounting course twice in the past. When Mark took the final exam, according to a document obtained by the Express, he topped the class.
The Express asked whether Mark was granted any concessions by the school.
Carrillo responded: “One of the most important parts of being a student-centred institution which we are in the West Indies is that we will help the students, it doesn’t matter who they are, to be successful academically. We will support them and whenever we have a student who is actually taking the last course to graduate, those are in special circumstances where we, as they request, we might consider some concessions and those concessions are nothing special and are things that happen regularly in the UWI system.”
The Express queried exactly what were the concessions afforded to Mark.
Carrillo: “Basically we are talking about a special sitting. It’s that he requested to sit by himself and not with the other cohorts for the final exam. It was requested and approved. The student (Mark) didn’t have to come to class, however. He requested tutoring which is a normal practice in the UWI based on particular circumstances of the student and it was difficult for him to attend class.”
Carrillo added that the final examination administered to Mark was “properly invigilated by UWI and not the Arthur Lok Jack School.
“It was a regular examination. The others (students) were writing the exam at the same time. It wasn’t like we set a special exam for Mr Mark, others were doing the exam at the same time.”
Sankat explained as well that UWI also made such concessions for its students.
“They may have time constraints and they appeal to UWI, we listen and set exams for one person,” he said. Sankat said such concessions are made for students who may attend a funeral or whose “father or mother may have died”.
What was Mark’s reason for wanting to be in a room by himself?” the Express asked.
Carrillo: “There was no particular excuse, he just requested that and we passed that request along. But we have to understand he was sitting down alone with a lot of people he didn’t know and the other part, most important, is the kind of pressure, because it’s his last opportunity to pass and to graduate”.
Sims said: “It could very well have been anxiety. It was his final attempt. If he had failed the exam, he would be gone.
Sankat: “It got to him…anxiety.”
Carrillo: “Anxiety.”
Sims said the heads of departments and boards normally dealt with such requests and in the past there have been lots of cases where special exams have occurred but in Mark’s case, this was not the case.
The Dean explained that the examination consisted of two parts, the more critical being “ownership of the exam and the outcome is the written final exam. This is rated much more heavily than the course work”.
“The final exam is administered by the university in a written form, except in the case with persons with handicaps and so forth. But in written form it is invigilated by the university (UWI),” he said.
On the controversial issue of whether Mark was exempt from course work, Sims said with the course work there is greater flexibility whereby it is essentially the responsibility of the first examiner. He said the course work can take many forms which consist of group, individual or a combination of both.
Mark, however, was excluded from this and given an oral examination instead, according to Carrillo.
“Yes, he was, but it was part of the course work and the written final exam. Oral exams consist of questions that will reflect the general understanding of the concepts of the student,” Carrillo said.
Asked about the framework of such questions, Carrillo said: “We don’t have a framework on what the oral exam should consist of, it depends a lot on the nature of the course and perspective of the examiner so there is not necessary a standard.”
Sims said this was Mark’s third attempt at course work in the Accounting Management course and the oral was administered to him for a reason. He added that in the past, Mark had completed the other course work required.
He said the school had documentary evidence to show where a lecturer as required by university regulations essentially refused to carry out the instructions of the director to set the course work exam.
“The academic programme director who also has overall responsibility for the student also did not carry out his responsibility to see that the student is given the opportunity to do his course work. The regulations require that the gentleman (Mark) should be given his course work before his final exam.
“These two gentlemen..... for whatever reason contrived not to carry out the instructions of giving this man (Mark) his course work assignment,” Sims said.
Asked why they would do this , Carrillo said he did not know.
Carrillo was also asked to explain e-mails sent to Mark requesting that he contact him urgently and also what was the “wrong which needed to be made right” as stated in an e-mail Ghent sent him last Wednesday.
Carrillo said: “I wanted to let him know the programme director was raising questions for his course work and let the student know he complied with all the requirements.”
That e-mail to Mark had stated: “I would like you to contact me urgently on a matter that has arisen at the business school. We would also like to have a private and confidential email address and a physical address that we can use to send you a formal letter.”
The Express observed that the concerns, according to the e-mail exchanges were raised from July to August about Mark’s course work, so why was there need to contact Mark one month later.
Carrillo responded: “Because the programme director only communicated that to me on November 11 in an e-mail which is not published. Three hours after I replied that all course work will be available to him.”
Adding that all senior staff members once authorised have access to course work marks, Carrillo said he could not explain why checks done by Brian Ghent turned up none.
On November 13, programme director Brian Ghent submitted his resignation letter to academic director Ron Sookram.
His letter stated: “In keeping with several discussions we had, I believe it is important that I record here my deepest concern with the circumstances surrounding the award of the EMBA degree to Mr Wade Mark, as well as, the subsequent responses to me since I raised the matter.”
Sources said that Ghent’s resignation came on the heels of e-mails between senior officials at the GSB suggesting that Mark did not fulfill all the requirements for his EMBA degree.
The e-mails suggest that concessions were made by the graduate school to accommodate Mark and in some cases stated that Mark did not complete several core course works which would have enabled him to graduate.
Mark has denied that he did not complete his course work.
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http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/Mark-threatens-to-sue-Express-233702991.html
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http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/Lok-Jack-heads-in-high-level-meeting-233555121.html
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u know what ..............I glad I chose to study with UOL, ah ketchin some arse, but ah still glad,.... not trying to disparage legit UWI grads, but it hard enough on d international job market with a UWI degree as is............there are even people who go through d expense of international Post Grad qualifications not only to further their education, but ALSO backup their UWI degrees with internationally recognized certifications as well..........stories like this not only damages d credibility of the school but also the students that actually EARNED their degrees..........this is just crazy.....is like we being lead by a bunch of pirates and mercenaries.
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... even foreign institutions make accommodations for examinees. The issue is the integrity with which such accommodations are provided, rather than the accommodations in the abstract.
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u know what ..............I glad I chose to study with UOL, ah ketchin some arse, but ah still glad,.... not trying to disparage legit UWI grads, but it hard enough on d international job market with a UWI degree as is............there are even people who go through d expense of international Post Grad qualifications not only to further their education, but ALSO backup their UWI degrees with internationally recognized certifications as well..........stories like this not only damages d credibility of the school but also the students that actually EARNED their degrees..........this is just crazy.....is like we being lead by a bunch of pirates and mercenaries.
You really can't go wrong with UoL.
I graduated with this fella. If you see the big big hug he get from Sankat and dem. The school has taken a big hit from this and I can't believe Carillo is still there. I know that I have to do additional studies at a foreign University to avoid this kind of embarrassment. It brings the quality of our qualifications into question. It's worse as I'm looking for a job now.
When I saw this and the names of the people involved in the email thread it shows you how embedded and intertwined corruption is in this place. One them was my Ethics lecturer smh. I think about how the country is being run and while I think we could do with a better government I know its much bigger than that.
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... even foreign institutions make accommodations for examinees. The issue is the integrity with which such accommodations are provided, rather than the accommodations in the abstract.
yeah I know all that, I am somewhat disabled and receive consideration, but nobody does leave me unsupervised or pass me without coursework plus when yuh consider d amount of people busted with false qualifications in recent times, it makes u wonder just how much gov't influence is playing a part in the the granting of degrees............also consider that other students taking that course are also starting to ask questions of the admin in this respect
yet another day yet another can of worms SMH............students should band together and launch a legal challenge to be offered those same said concession as Mr. Mark or demand that a full and transparent airing of this issue is done
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You really can't go wrong with UoL.
I graduated with this fella. If you see the big big hug he get from Sankat and dem. The school has taken a big hit from this and I can't believe Carillo is still there. I know that I have to do additional studies at a foreign University to avoid this kind of embarrassment. It brings the quality of our qualifications into question. It's worse as I'm looking for a job now.
When I saw this and the names of the people involved in the email thread it shows you how embedded and intertwined corruption is in this place. One them was my Ethics lecturer smh. I think about how the country is being run and while I think we could do with a better government I know its much bigger than that.
sad sad times in this country :( :( :( >:(
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They lower than a razor blade on the floor. Imagine all this just to get a pat on the back. These people never got hugs from their parents or something. It reminds me of the two dummies who went and give themselves silk. Poor Sankat, all of them in a mess. Look where Tewarie is now. These sickening people boy. They really leave sour taste in your mouth sometimes.
Is not the corruption I really care about, it's the stubbornness and they doing it with no shame. Say what, today for me and tomorrow for you.
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Wrong is now right and only murder is crime. Mr Kieth Noel 136 say he eh want 2 further embarass his family so he eh call in the Fraud squad when the man print his own certificate.
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jah gol i remember u were finishing ur degree not too long ago. this thing is pressure oui. a pardna of mine posted about this today on fb, he both studied and was on the faculty of uwi i believe...the responses from ppl were the most disheartening tho, realll ppl get shafted by uwi it seems...really unfortunate. i remember when my aunt studied there in the early 80s we revered that institution. this whole thing is really sad.
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I'm looking to do a Ph.D. in Economics at UWI to stay close to the girlfriend, so I'll try my best when lecturing! I've been lecturing in a London Uni for three years now and I know just how hard it can be to be a lecturer, but some of this stuff sounds depressing :(
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We thought Manning was bad so we move him and put the drunkin master and she 4king crew, now they 4kingup everything and anything they touch
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jah gol i remember u were finishing ur degree not too long ago. this thing is pressure oui. a pardna of mine posted about this today on fb, he both studied and was on the faculty of uwi i believe...the responses from ppl were the most disheartening tho, realll ppl get shafted by uwi it seems...really unfortunate. i remember when my aunt studied there in the early 80s we revered that institution. this whole thing is really sad.
The workload was quite overwhelming sometimes. I sacrificed a great deal financially and personally to complete the programme. They don't know how their actions affect others or they just don't care.
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Ghent: I had to preserve my integrity
By Denyse Renne denyse.renne@trinidadexpress.com
Story Created: Nov 28, 2013 at 11:46 PM ECT
Story Updated: Nov 29, 2013 at 9:17 AM ECT
Former programme director at the Arthur Lok Jack Graduate School of Business (GSB) Brian Ghent says he resigned his position because he could not get a satisfactory response about a degree and had to preserve his integrity.
He was responding to allegations against him made by GSB officials following the award of the Executive Master of Business degree (EMBA) to House Speaker Wade Mark in October.
Ghent, in a brief interview with the Express yesterday afternoon, was asked to comment on allegations made by executive director at the GSB Prof Miguel Carrillo and Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences Errol Simms that he breached the school’s regulations.
“My lawyers have advised me to make no comment. However, in terms of my resignation I first sought clarification on the process used for the award of a degree granted by the Arthur Lok Jack Graduate School of Business. I was unable to get a satisfactory response and in order to preserve my integrity, I tendered my resignation,” Ghent said.
In an Express interview at the GSB’s Mt Hope campus on Wednesday, Simms said the school had documentary evidence to show where a lecturer essentially refused to carry out the instructions of the director to set the course work exam.
“The academic programme director (Ghent) who also has overall responsibility for the student, also did not carry out his responsibility to see that the student is given the opportunity to do his course work. The regulations require that the gentleman (Mark) should be given his course work before his final exam,” Simms had said.
Sources say Ghent tendered his resignation on November 13, and according to his contractual agreement with the GSB, cannot speak about school or student affairs in the public domain.
His resignation takes effect on December 13.
During Wednesday’s interview, Carrillo said he had conversations with Ghent asking that he reconsider his resignation.
The Express asked Carrillo why he would seek to retain Ghent after alleging that he went against the school’s regulations.
Carrillo said: “Well, he had been here only a year and he made a mistake.”
Ghent’s resignation letter which has been obtained by the Express is addressed to the acting academic director Dr Ron Sookram.
In the letter, Ghent stated: “In keeping with several discussions we had, I believe it is important that I record here my deepest concern with the circumstances surrounding the award of the EMBA degree to Mr Wade Mark, as well as the subsequent responses to me since I raised the matter.”
Ghent’s resignation followed a decision by school officials to grant concessions to Mark.
The Express is in possession of e-mail exchanges which have raised questions over the concessions.
Mark graduated from the GSB with the EMBA degree on October 25. This was Mark’s third attempt at course work in the Accounting Management course and an oral exam was administered to him.
Sources said that Ghent’s resignation followed a trail of e-mail exchanges between senior officials at the GSB suggesting that Mark did not fulfill all the requirements fo
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http://www.trinidadexpress.com/letters/UWI-must-move-to-clear-its-name--233701081.html
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.... they just don't care.
this >:( :(
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We thought Manning was bad so we move him and put the drunkin master and she 4king crew, now they 4kingup everything and anything they touch
All yuh was around when this lot was in power 1995-2001? Well all d Manning haters gave dem d mandate 2 mash up d place.
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http://www.trinidadexpress.com/letters/UWI-must-move-to-clear-its-name--233701081.html
So good! :applause:
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We thought Manning was bad so we move him and put the drunkin master and she 4king crew, now they 4kingup everything and anything they touch
All yuh was around when this lot was in power 1995-2001? Well all d Manning haters gave dem d mandate 2 mash up d place.
Time to get over the tabanca girl.
Start promoting Rowley
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We thought Manning was bad so we move him and put the drunkin master and she 4king crew, now they 4kingup everything and anything they touch
All yuh was around when this lot was in power 1995-2001? Well all d Manning haters gave dem d mandate 2 mash up d place.
Time to get over the tabanca girl.
Start promoting Rowley
I vote PNM because it eh have no other option so I eh go be promoting nobody. I will just go insure d candidate doh loose his deposit
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http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/Unsettled-Anil-blanks-House-233952831.html
Of all the people to comment and take a stand like this on this matter hmm something is wrong or maybe right.
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http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/Confusion-over-GSB-committee-233952681.html
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State pays out $53m in legal fees
By Denyse Renne denyse.renne@trinidadexpress.com
The State has paid more than $53 million in legal fees to attorneys from June 2010-October 2013.
The main beneficiaries are Queen’s Counsel Allan Newman, Fenton Ramsahoye SC, Gerald Ramdeen, Kelvin Ramkissoon, Jagdeo Singh, Seenath Jairam SC and Avory Sinanan SC.
This figure excludes work done on behalf of State boards and invoices awaiting approval.
Sources say invoices within the Attorney General’s office, awaiting approval, total more than $8 million.
The Express understands that the payments exclude work done for various State enterprises such as WASA, T&TEC, NWRHA (North West Regional Health Authority), SWRHA (South West Regional Health Authority), and PTSC (Public Transport Service Corporation), just to name a few.
For the past two years, the Express has applied to the AG’s office under the Freedom of Information Act to ascertain the amount of money being spent to facilitate representation in court cases.
Calls were made to the office seeking reasons why the information was not forthcoming.
Two months ago, another application was made, but to date no response has been communicated.
According to invoices obtained by the Express, for the periods June 2010 to October 2013, Newman topped the list of high earners, having received $14,474,613.54; Ramdeen—$10,443,423; Ramsahoye—$7,750,096; Sinanan—$6,568,225; Ramkissoon—$5,924,631.80; Jairam—$4,478,847.50; and Singh—$3,728,832.97.
The fees were paid for briefs on being retained by the Office of the Attorney General and include professional legal advice, court appearances, investigations, and judicial review applications.
The results of the investigations, sources say, have not been forwarded to the police for investigation, nor sent to the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.
However, the matters are before the courts after civil action was initiated.
Sources say, in the past, the retention of attorneys was done by the Solicitor General. However, such a practice has lapsed and all decisions on who to retain have been taken by Attorney General Anand Ramlogan.
Last month, Solicitor General Eleanor Donaldson-Honeywell SC tendered her resignation, which comes into effect on January 14. She has remained silent on several questions posed to her.
Efforts to contact her yesterday were unsuccessful.
Continuing Express investigations show that on January 13, 2012, Newman was paid $1,846,042.25. That case is not specified on the invoice, only “debit advice 1397 dated 28/12/11”.
An invoice, dated 5/6/11, stated he billed the State following investigations into Gopaul and Company Limited.
The amount also covers debit advice “1397” and also the invoice dated 21/10/11 “RE: investigative probe”.
Another payment of $2,360,859.21 was made on May 25 last year. The invoice states “debit advice #3950 dated May 14, 2012. Overseas payment”.
On September 4, Ramsahoye received $483,210 for advice given on legislation concerning violent crime in Trinidad and Tobago.
Advice was also given “on the majority required to enact in Parliament the Miscellaneous Provisions (Defence and Police Complaints) Bill 2013”.
He was also paid a further $322,140 that same day for advice given on the enactment of the Administration of Justice (Parole) Bill 2013.
Among the top paying matters were extradition proceedings against businessmen and United National Congress (UNC) financiers Ishwar Galbaransingh and Steve Ferguson, CLICO and investigations into Petrotrin, UTT and eTecK.
During the budget debate on September 22, 2010, Ramlogan told the Senate that under the last administration “$84 million in legal fees was paid to ten lawyers” during 2001-2010.
He also claimed: “The total legal fees paid by my Ministry to just ten local legal friends of the PNM amounted to just over $84 million..ten persons’ names regimentally appear each year.”
Contacted last week and asked about the fee structure used when submitting invoices, Ramkissoon said: “In most cases I am with senior counsel and, according to fee structure charged by senior, I am entitled to two-thirds of that in brief. I have never gone outside of that.”
The Express then asked whether he had ever been asked to lower his fees, as they may have been too high, and he responded: “There may have been, it may have happened, but I do not recall that.”
Ramkissoon further explained that he abides by the Legal Profession Act or failure to do so would result in him being penalised.
He added that when submitting invoices, they are sent to the Solicitor General’s department.
When contacted for comment, Singh, who said his fees are reasonable, added: “When billing a client, I abide by the rules which govern my profession.”
Jairam, who is also president of the Law Association, when asked whether a fee structure is in place when dealing with legal fees, said: “No. There are no formats or regulations. It’s a matter of attorneys submitting invoices and it is negotiable. There are guidelines as to hourly charges on litigation...these are general guidelines which are used when a litigant is successful in a case.”
Earlier this year, Jairam replaced attorneys Fyard Hosein SC and Michael Quamina at the Commission of Inquiry into the collapse of CLICO.
Shortly after receiving the brief, he gave it up, as concerns were raised within the legal fraternity that acceptance of the brief was a conflict of interest.
Shortly after being sworn in as AG, Ramlogan, in a July 1, 2010 letter, wrote to then Finance Minister Winston Dookeran: “I write further to our meeting and my discussions today with the Honourable Minister of Finance to advise that Mr Alan Newman QC is to be instructed and retained, instead of Mr Gilbert Peterson SC, with immediate effect.
“Kindly forward a brief to Mr Newman’s Chambers with the relevant papers via Fedex as soon as possible. Please also be reminded of the outstanding status reports I requested regarding the status of all pending legal matters.”
Sources say the services of Peterson were to be retained, but this did not materialise following Ramlogan’s instructions.
Ramdeen, in responding to queries, said he has never been informed by the AG’s office that his fees were high.
“On the contrary, there are many occasions where I charge a fee less than I am entitled to charge, “ he said.
Efforts to contact Ramlogan via e-mail and text messages for comment were unsuccessful.
Former AG Ramesh Lawrence-Maharaj SC, when contacted last weekend, said it is the responsibility of the Solicitor General to “choose attorneys whom she deems fit to represent the State”.
He said, following this, the names are approved by the AG.
“However, this is not being done and the AG is choosing lawyers by himself. The nation needs to know whether the procedures for recruiting these lawyers are being followed,” said Maharaj.
Stating that fees paid to attorneys has been a contentious issue, Maharaj said when invoices are submitted, checks ought to be conducted on the requisition and then submitted to the AG.
“The AG then compares the requisition with what is the normal fee paid to lawyers.”
Adding that ministers should not be retaining lawyers, Maharaj said: “That’s why in so many cases you have friends being retained.”
8.8.11—$45,000 Pre-action protocol issued by Alexander Jeremie and Co- alleged unlawful CLICO policy of gov’t and pre-action protocol issued by RLM and Co-alleged unlawful CLICO policy of gov’t
30.8.11—$61,666.65 Ferguson and Galbaransingh vs AG
27.9.11—$210,000- Eon Hewitt and others vs Ministry of Works and Transport and the Transport Commissioner; and the Minister of Works and Transport and the Transport Commissioner of T&T vs Eon Hewitt and others
28.9.11—$179,750- Patrick Manning vs AG&CV2011-2018 Patrick Manning vs AG and re: Twin infants born to Ms Hope-Request to make infants ward of the state.
14.11.11—$23,000-Alleged unlawful CLICO policy response to RLM & Co
15.12.11—$80,000-Harold Chang vs Minister of Health, NWRHA, PS Minister of Health and Dr Ramshwardath Mahabir, ag Medical chief of staff Port of Spain General Hospital
20.1.12—$26,664- Ferguson and Galbaransingh vs AG
28.2.12— $322,500- Global Bank of Commerce Ltd vs Central Bank T&T and Winston Dookeran Minister of Finance; Citizens Bank of Guyana Inc vs Central Bank of T&T and Winston Dookeran Minister of Finance; the United policyholders group and others vs Kamla Persad-Bissessar and others.
28.5.12—$259,000- Percy Farrell and others vs Central Bank, Republic Bank, Minister of Finance and AG, RE: Broadgate Place Property Company Ltd vs Minister of Planning, Econnomic and Social Restructuring and Gender Affairs
29.6.12—$75,000-Richard Ramoutar vs Director of Personal Administration
27.7.12—$53,250- Clico vs Kamla; Percy Farrel vs Clico
16.7.12—$45,000- Percy Farrel and others vs Clico, Central Bank, Republic Bank, Minister of Finance and AG-application for conditional leave to appeal to the Privy Council (2) Civil appeal No. 95 of 2012-Percy Farrel and others vs Clico, Central Bank, Republic Bank, Minister of Finance and AG-application for conditional leave to appeal the Privy Council
27.7.12— $83,225-Ferguson and Galbaransingh vs AG
17.8.12—$80,000-Clico vs Kamla; Percy Farrel vs Clico
17.8.12—$62,000-Ricky Steven and others vs Ministry of Energy
26.9.12—$350,000- United Clico Policyholders vs Kamla Persad-Bissessar and others (substituted by the AG pursuant to order of the court)
18.10.12—$100,000- Fire Service Association vs Carl Williams-Chief Fire Officer and PSA and AG
21.12.12—$115,000-Ameen Ali vs NWRHA-Minister of Health and the PS, Ministry of Health
6.2.13—$134,167.05-Stephen Maynard and others vs the Commissioner of Police
27.2.13—$72,833.13-United Policyholders vs AG
21.5.13—$166,743.10-United Clico Policyholders vs AG
14.6.13—86,250- Soca for Peace Foundation vs the Registrar of the Supreme Court
3.9.13-$741,750- AG vs United Clico Policy holders and others
21.10.13-$207,000- Prakash vs Minister of Energy and Energy Affairs and PS
Fenton Ramsahoye SC—$7,750,096
17/01/11 — $588,772.40 - debit advice 1179 dated 16/12/10
23/9/11—$1205,625.20 -debit advice 5492 dated 22/8/11
23/9/11— 32,064.50- debit advice 5496 dated 24/8/11
28/9/11—$313,038- debit advice dated-15/9/11
28/9/11—$104,346- debit advice 5919 dated 15/9/11
14/12/11—$526,669.90- Advice RE: Guarentee to the lending agency Wells Fargo Bank NW, Advice RE: 2 draft detention orders under the emergency regulations re: professional fees: Privy Council Appeal No: 0089 of 2010
26/03/12—$535,673.40- Advice RE: sale as shareholder of Primera Oil and Gas Limited. Services RE: Declaration of a State of Emergency in T&T in August 2011
17/4/12—$1140,899- Advice RE: the director of personnel administration, data protection act, undertaking by TDC to BICC RE: advice environmental clearance certificate, compliance with the extractive industries transparency initiative
04/05/12—$418,496- re: advice application of central tenders board legislation
28/09/12—$77,242.80- Advice on the question whether the President may exercise the power of removal of the chairman of the Environmental Commission
28/09/12—$386,460- Advice: re: exemption from taxes on purchase of motor vehicles
30/07/12—$642,630- Advice re: legal provisions for enactment to terminate from an appointed day the power and authority of the judicial committee of the Privy Council, advice re: the Amendment of article XXV of the agreement establishing the Caribbean Court of Justice
03/1/13— $62,413.80- Advice RE: whether Israel Khan SC could be appointed as a member of the Firearms Appeal Board
15/5/13—$266,135- RE: overseas payment for advice given and for written opinion given.
04/09/13—$483,210-Advice re: on legislation concerning violent crime in TT, re: advice on the majority required to enact in Parliament the Miscellaneous Provisions (Defence and Police Complaints) Bill 2013
04/09/13-$644,280-Advice re: question whether the exchequer and audit Amendment Bill was properly introduced into the Senate: advice re: in connection with the termination of a lease by the Children’s Authority of TT; re advice: on the question whether information concerning taxes paid to the Revenue by oil mining and gas companies
04/09/13-$322,140- Advice re: on the enactment of the Administration of Justice ( Parole) Bill 2013.
Allan Newman QC—$14,474,613.54
17/8/13—$230,549.14 - re: Paponette, Clico JR (Alexander Jeremie letter) Clico JR (RLM letter)
23/12/10—$1255,537.70- Broadgate PI Tower, Calder Hart, Ingrid Isaac-contract of employment terms.
01/05/12—$3090,240- advice re: T&TEC, UTT,SPORTT,ETECK, MVSU
13/1/12—$1,846,042.25- advice -Investigative probe Re: Gopaul and Company Ltd
08/8/12—$754,320- Advice- Farrell and others vs Clico and others
25/5/12—$2390,859.21- Advice
21/11/12—$1047,510- United Policy Holders Group (JR RLM and Co)
19/2/13—$712,388.25- advice - Farrell and others vs Clico and others Court of Appeal- Repeal of Section 34
17/7/13—$2488,275- advice Repeal of Section 34 Administration of Justice
18/9/13—$21,245.91- Provision of professional services rendered in legal matters Clico, Lionel Luckhoo letter of 27/5/11, AG/SG-3/3/55- conference with Nicole Chapman et al. Re: letter (1hr) 14/7/12 opinion
27/9/13—$637,646.08- Farrell and others vs Clico and others-Privy Council application. HCU case- United Policy Holders group, repeal of Section 34
Gerald Ramdeen—$10,443,423
28.4.11—$146,500-HCU vs AG and others
2.6.11—$652,000- Fees: RE: Investigation into the affairs of Petrotrin, UTT and Sportt
7.6.11—$218,590- Fees: matter of appeal , between former PC Clinton Auguste and Commissioner of Police
17.11.11—$176,000-Trinidad Energy Investments Ltd and the AG: NGC: NEC
12.3.12—$10,000- detention of Ashmead Mohammed Choate
20.3.12—$100,000- Andrew Bernard vs AG
4.4.12-$40,000-Thompson Boddie and Harris vs Cabinet of T&T and AG
11.5.12—$335,000- Karen Teshiera vs AG:T&T Police and Social Welfare Association vs Commissioner of Police: Clinton Auguste and the police Commission and the Commission of Police
18.5.12— $150,000-Ruby Thompson Boddie and Lenore Harris vs Cabinet of T&T and AG: Re: Brig Peter Joseph vs AG
18.5.12—$950,000-Evolving Technologies Ltd vs Ken Julien and others: RE: Paradise Gardens Ltd vs Minister of Planning
26.6.12—$500,000-Trinidad Energt Investments Limited and AG: NGC:NEC
14.9.12—$100,000-Ramdeo Ramtahal vs Defence Council
1.11.12—$32,000-Quincy Noel vs AG, RE: Kevin Stuart vs AG
28.11.12—$233,000-Nizam Mohammed vs AG
17.1.13—$270,000- Ramdeo Ramtahal vs Defence Council, Julien and others vs Evolving Technologies and Enterprise Ltd, RE: Counsel and instructing attorney in HCA 93 of 1999 API Pipeline Ltd vs AG and the Board of Inland Revenue
18.2.13—$200,000-KKRV Consolidated Marine Services Ltd vs AG
26.2.13—$1,000,000- Ferguson and Galbaransingh vs AG and DPP
11.3.13—$300,000-Urban Development Ltd of T&T vs Calder Hart
10.5.13—$150,000-Requisition in matters of Winston Wilson and others
10.5.13—$150,000-Kublalsingh and others vs AG
10.5.13—$233,333-Clayton Andrews vs AG and Public Service Appeal Board
22.5.13—$250,000-Wendell Lucas vs Police Service Commission and the Promotion Advisory Board
12.6.13—$450,000- Wendell Lucas vs Police Service Commission and the Promotion Advisory Board: RE: Civil Appeal Ameena Ali vs NWRHA vs Ameena Ali
30.7.13—$150,000- Ferguson, Ameer Edoo, Maritime Life, Maritime General vsAG
30.7.13—$75,000-Bagoo and another vs Chief Immigration Officer
30.7.13—$100,000-Nizam Mohammed vs AG
30.7.13—$100,000-Jorge Calderon vs Magistrate Annette McKenzie
25.10.13—$150,000- Arnold Campbell vs AG
25.10.13—$150,000- Paul Fulchan vs AG
25.10.13—$750,000-Ferguson, Eddoo, Maritime Life, Maritime General vs AG
25.10.13—$500,000- Maurice Tomlinson vs State of T&T
25.10.13—$1,000,000- Petrotrin vs Malcom Jones
25.10.13—$266,000- Omar Singh vs Comptroller of Customs and Excise
25.10.13—$200,000- Afra Raymond vs The Ministry of Finance
25.10.13— $266,000-Omar Singh vs Comptroller of Customs and Excise
Seenath Jairam SC—$4,478,874.50
27/3/13—$402,500-Desalination company of T&T Ltd Registration recognition and certification board
11/4.13—$862,500-THA vs the AG of T&T
11/4/13—$316,250 –the Official Receiver vs All Trinidad General Workers Trade Union and Bel Air International Airports Hotel Ltd.
10/6/13—$402,500- Clayton Andrews and the AG of T&T and the Public Service Appeal Board
10/6/3013—$431,250- Sgt Wendell Lucas and others vs Commissioner of Police and the Promotion Advisory Board.
25/6/13— $632,500- Trade dispute between the OWTU vs the CPO and the PS in the Minister of Foreign Affairs
30/7/13— $460,000- Omar Singh vs the Comptroller of Customs and Excise Application for leave to apply for Judicial Review and interim relief
30/7/13—$373,750- Phillip Calbert Castor vs the Comptroller of Customs and Excise
3/9/13— $299,862.50 – Arnold Campbell vs the AG of T&T
24/10/13—$297,735- Paul Fulchan vs the AG of T&T
Jagdeo Singh—$3,728,832.97
18.11.10—$100,000- Habeas Corpus application for Hassan Atwell (take instructions, peruse application and submission, appear on application etc)
13.1.11—$100,000-Appeal or of Justice Jones dismissing application for writ of habeas corpus by Atwell
13.1.11—$65,000-Fire sub- station officer Mohammed- take instructions, appear at San Fernando Magistartes’,conferences, advice, legal research, general care and conduct.
18.3.11—$133,333- HCU vs AG and Sir Anthony Coleman
13.6.11—$133,333- HCU vs AG and Sir Anthony Coleman
26.8.11—$199,000-Universal Projects Ltd vs AG
27.9.11—$240,000-Ramkissoon-Mohammed vs AG: Kerron Pierre vs Commissioner of Prison
1.12.11—$150,000-Sammersaon vs Magistrate Nannette Forder-John
12.3.12—$300,000-ag Cpl Bharath, PC Cielto, PC Lavia and PC Roberts
20.3.12—$150,000-AG vs Universal Projects
3.5.12—$150,000-Gladys Gafoor
29.5.12—$163,333.33- Towfeek Ali vs ASP Chandrabhan, Insp Manswell,PC Thomas and AG
28.6.12—$156,666-School of Business and Computer Science vs AG
16.7.12—$310,000 Sgt Roy,Cpl Bentick,PC Baldwin vs Coroner Naini Singh; SBCS vs AG
9.8.12—$25,000-Kirby Smith vs Sandra Jones,PS, Ministry of Gender and Gender Affairs
14.9.12—$421,666.65- Towfeek Ali vs ASP Chandrabhan Maharaj,Insp Manswell, PC Thomas and the AG; Animals for education vs Chief game warden
10.10.12—$92,000- Advice Hassan Atwell
11.10.12— $28,750- Sammerson vs Magistrate Forde-John
30.1.13— $51,750- Taking instructions, preparation of bail application, three court appearances, research laws of bail penalty extradition, general care and conduct
10.5.13-$239,200— Towfeek Alivs ASP Chandrabhan Maharaj, Insp Manswell, PC Thomas and the AG
3.6.13—$174,800- Keron Pierre and the Commissioner of Prisons
3.6.13—$172,500-.Habas Corpus application-Jagmohan vs Commissioner of Prisons
5.6.13-$172,500-PC Narace vs Jagmohan
Fees paid by the Office of the AG from 2010 to present
Avory M Sinanan SC—$6,568,225
26.11.2010—$ 690,000 RE Steve Ferguson and Ishwar Galbaransingh vs AG (Judicial), Steve Ferguson and Ishwar Galbaransingh vs AG and Chief Magistrate Sherman McNicols (Constitutional appeal)
17.12.10—$28,750 Kelsick vs Dr Ajit Kuruvilla NWRHA and the AG
30.9.10—$20,700 Vernon Ashby vs Registrar of the Industrial Court
13.1.11—$115,000 Bail application –Galbaransingh and Ferguson
1.3.11—$230,000 Bail application Galbaransingh and Ferguson; Ferguson and Galbaransingh vs AG and McNicolls. Application to extend time and leave to appeal to the Privy Council; Kelsick vs Dr Kuruvilla NWRHA and the AG
15.2.13—$115,000 Appeal against the refusal of bail by Justice Andre Mon Desir-Galbaransingh and Ferguson
27.9.11—$106,375 Galbaransingh and Ferguson vs the AG
14.11.11—$172,500 Virgil Wharton vs AG (civil appeal no 67 of 2008)
20.1.12—$46,000 Ferguson and Galbaransingh vs AG
22.2.12—$172,500 Virgil Wharton vs AG
27.2.12—$115,000 AG vs Oswald Alleyne and 152 others
17.4.12—$319,700 Ferguson and Galbaransingh vs AG; School of Business and Computer Science
03.07.12—$678,500 SBCS vs AG, RE: Gladys Gafoor vs AG and others
12.9.12—$143,750 Ferguson and Galbaransingh vs AG
26.9.13—$517,500 John Henry Smith and Barbra Gomes vs AG and DPP and RE civil appeal Smith and Gomes vs Chief Magistarte and DPP, Galbaransingh and Armith Maharaj and Northern Construction Company vs Chief Magistrate.
22.11.12—$46,000 Gladys Gaffoor vs AG.
29.11.12—$402,500 Nizam Mohammed vs AG
27.12.12—$287,500 Gladys Gafoor vs AG
16.1.13—$431,250 DPP vs Magistrate Marcia Murray and Basdeo Panday. Kelsickvs NWRHA and the AG
6.2.13—$97,750 Kelsick vs NWRHA and the AG
19.2.13—$345,000 Tanya and Curtis Gayadeen vs AG
15.4.13—$143,750 Extradition Doreen Alexander Durity
11.6.13—$230,000 Extradition Doreen Alexander Durity vs the AG (Judicial Review)
7/7/13—$172,500 Nizam Mohammed vs AG
21/10/13—$316,250 The Mayor, Councillors and citizens of the City of PoS vs AG
24.6.11—$552,000 Tanya and Curtis Gayadeen vs the AG
8.8.11—$20,700 Tanya and Curtis Gayadeen vs AG
8.6.11—$86,250 Steve Ferguson and Ishwar Galbaransingh vs AG and Chief Magistrate Sherman McNicolls—application for disclosure
23.5.11—$69,000 Impounding of motor vehicles by the POS City Corporation
18.03.11—$575,000 Galbaransingh and Ferguson vs AG, substantive application for judicial review, application for permission to apply for judicial review, HCU vs AG and Sir Anthony Colman
Kelvin Ramkissoon—$5,924,631.80
22.12.10—$399,999.33 Steve Ferguson and Ishwar Galbaransingh vs AG (application for leave for Judicial Review-Justice Charles) Ferguson and Galbaransingh vs AG (appeal on Judicial Review from order of Justice Charles) Ferguson and Galbaransingh vs AG (constitutional appeal) (constitutional appeal)
20.03.12—$400,000 Percy Farrell and others vs CLICO, Central Bank, Republic Bank Ltd, Winston Dookeran, Ministry of Finance and the AG
14.03.13—$230,000 Wayne Kublalsingh and others vs AG
11.6.13—$153,333.95 RE: CV: 2013-01303- Extradition of Doreen Alexander Durity vs AG (Judicial Review) dated- 17.5.13
22.10.13—$153,332.95 CV 2013-01303 in the matter of extradition of Doreen Alexander vs AG (Judicial Review)
23.01.13—$57,500 Request legal opinion Environmental Commission
10.8.10—$65,000 Brief as counsel for attending at the hearing of the Bail Application
30.9.10—$35,000 Ferguson and Galbaransingh vs AG and McNicols
22.10.10—$175,000
19.11.10—$66,666.66 Claim between Ramnarace Nandoo and Nalini Singh; fee on brief as junior counsel to Russell Martineau SC, consideration of the law, notice of application to dismiss matter on basis of abuse and provisions of Magistrates’ Protection Act, affidavit in support of application, attendance at court, general care and conduct.
13.1.11—$75,000 Fees Re: Application for bail-Galbaransingh and Ferguson
28.1.11—$15,500 Professional services rendered: Re: Response to Pre-Action protocol issued against the Hon Minister of Finance for alleged defamation, issued by the HCU Cooperative Society Ltd and its Directors
15.2.11—$199,999.98 Fees Re: Broadgate Place Property Company Ltd vs Minister of Planning, Gender Affairs and appeal against the refusal of bail by Justice Mon Desir- Galbaransingh and Ferguson
18.3.11—$250,000 Galbaransingh and Ferguson; Galbaransingh and Ferguson vs AG (substantive application for judicial review;Ferguson and Galbaransingh, Galbaransingh and Ferguson vs AG and McNicolls-application to extend time and for leave to appeal to the Privy Council
7.6.11—$50,000 Fees: Ferguson and Galbaransingh vs AG and McNicolls- Appliction for disclosure
27.6.11—$18,500 Fees: Proposed claim by Hollis Hinds, Senior Business Analyst, Monitering and Networking Unit, Ministry of Trade and the Industry
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http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/Accreditation-body-calls-for-report--234171271.html
Accreditation body calls for report
Wade Mark degree controversy
By Anika Gumbs CCN Senior Multimedia Investigative Journalist
Story Created: Dec 2, 2013 at 11:33 PM ECT
Story Updated: Dec 2, 2013 at 11:33 PM ECT
The Accreditation Council of Trinidad and Tobago (ACTT) has written to the Arthur Lok Jack Graduate School of Business (GSB) requesting a report surrounding the controversy of the Executive Master of Business Administration (EMBA) degree conferred upon House Speaker Wade Mark.
ACTT executive director Michael Bradshaw confirmed to the Express yesterday that the Council had written the GSB by letter dated December 2 (yesterday) seeking clarity on the matter.
“We have to collect the facts because we do not know exactly what happened. We cannot rely on what was reported because if you read the newspaper articles some of them are conflicting,” said Bradshaw.
“We have written the institution asking for information in relation to the matter and we are awaiting a reply. We have written the institution to seek clarification. Every institution has policies and we have to ensure that the policies were followed. At this time I cannot give any more information on the matter.”The move follows exclusive Express reports raising concerns on concessions that were offered to Mark for him to complete the degree. The issue led to the resignation of GSB programme director Brian Ghent, who objected to the concessions.
Mark had requested to write the final exam in a separate room from the other students and he was given an oral exam to complete the coursework for the Management Accounting course.
The University of the West Indies is insisting that all policies were followed and Mark had fully satisfied all the requirements for the degree.
In an advertisement in the daily newspapers yesterday, UWI Vice-Chancellor Prof E Nigel Harris stated:
“From the review conducted, we have found that this student (Mark) was in good academic standing and fully satisfied all the requirements to graduate from the programme. From time to time, and based on professional and personal circumstances, students can request considerations which will usually be granted once they are consistent with UWI regulations. Considerations are recommended by departments and approved by the UWI on a case-by-case basis. The UWI has always embraced a student-centred philosophy that recognises the interest and well-being of its students, the diversity of the student population, and our commitment to equity.
“To meet the requirements of this degree, the student had one outstanding course. It should be noted that, with respect to this course, which is examined by both coursework and a written exam, the student had successfully completed the coursework component on two previous occasions. Based on this, the requirement to repeat the coursework component for a third time could have been waived by the UWI, but the student would still have been required to take and pass the final written exam.
“Despite the fact that the student had already passed the coursework on two previous occasions, the ALJGSB took the decision to assess the student’s knowledge of the material further, by subjecting the student to an oral examination of coursework material, which he passed.”
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So why not make the bolded above standard operating procedure, UoL does it this way.....if u pass the coursework component previously.....they allow u to simply re-sit the exam or viceversa and bring your marks forward........ if is not standard operatin procedure at the school now, people goh ask questions...........d next ting to find out is if other students in that same situation was afforded that same courtesy....because if not, people might have grounds for legal action.
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http://www.trinidadexpress.com/commentaries/One-by-one-234017531.html
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Anil to Speaker: I want no favours
Story Created: Dec 3, 2013 at 10:25 PM ECT
Story Updated: Dec 4, 2013 at 6:30 PM ECT
Sport Minister Anil Roberts said yesterday he wants no favours from House Speaker Wade Mark to have any private meeting to discuss Mark’s Executive Master of Business Administration (EMBA).
Instead, he said he will now seek answers from The University of the West Indies (UWI) Pro Vice Chancellor Nigel Harris on the issue.
Roberts boycotted the Parliament sitting Friday and wrote to Mark requesting leave of absence and clarification in the award of his EMBA.
Mark has not responded to Roberts’s letter but told the Express he will not hold any discussion with any MP via the media and that it was unfortunate the minister did not seek to discuss the matter with him privately.
Roberts said yesterday while he respects the decision of the Speaker, he believes this country deserves an explanation.
“First of all, I would like to thank the Express because without the Express I would not have known that my leave of absence was not granted by the Speaker. I adhere and I respect all the principles, conventions and practices under which the Member of Parliament are bound and under the jurisdiction of the Speaker I respect all his decisions,” said Roberts in a telephone interview.
He pointed out there were repercussions if a member breaches House rules and is not granted leave of absence from the Speaker, and as such, he will continue to attend Parliament as he was elected to represent the people.
“I humbly respectfully decline the Speaker’s offer to have a private back door meeting because this issue is one of public interest and I do not think I need special treatment. I personally do not want any special treatment whatsoever, whether it’s based on my anxiety or my ability to perform well under pressure,” said Roberts.
Roberts noted the full-page newspaper advertisements taken out by The UWI to explain itself on the award of Mark’s EMBA.
He noted further the ad stated that from time to time, based on professional and personal circumstances, students can request concessions which will usually be granted, once they are consistent with The UWI regulations.
Roberts said there were many questions he intends to send to UWI Pro Vice Chancellor Harris on the issue, namely:
• Is it usual for students to request a private sitting of an examination?
• If all 39 participants in the programme request private sitting will they all receive private sittings with 39 invigilators?
• How many previous graduates have been given the opportunity to sit an exam privately with their own special invigilator? If so, why were they granted this concession?
• Are the 14 courses taken as a whole or can they be divided year to year?
• Is it possible to pass course work in one year while failing the exam and in the other year pass the exam and fail the course work yet the two years be taken cumulatively to give an overall pass? Is that the principle and procedure of the university? Is the course itself taken as a whole, i.e. course work and final exam.
Roberts also took issue with Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley’s statement that his beef was with The UWI and not Mark.
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http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/Jack-calls-on-Mark-to-give-up-degree-234335181.html
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How far to have fallen for The most corrupt man in the Caribbean to call for you to drop your degree...
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E-mails query suspended NP CEO’s papers
Originally printed at http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/E-mails-query-suspended-NP-CEOs-papers---235818221.html
By Denyse Renne denyse.renne@trinidadexpress.com
December 13, 2013
E-mails have surfaced purporting to show suspended chief executive officer at National Petroleum (NP), Kenneth Mohammed, does not possess the academic qualifications he says he has.
Contacted yesterday, Mohammed said he was not surprised over the e-mails.
In an e-mail sent yesterday morning to various media houses, the documents attached were exchanges purporting to be from Brooks University, stating Mohammed did not attain an MBA degree from the institution.
Mohammed told the Express in a telephone interview: “I saw the e-mails.”
He maintained, however, that he does have an MBA in Business Administration from the said university and is ACCA qualified.
“Of course I have my qualifications. I would not have been hired in several international firms if I didn’t,” Mohammed said.
The suspended CEO explained that “two or three months ago when 68 employees were fired” and he was subsequently suspended, “I got a message from the Oilfields Workers’ Trade Union (OWTU) saying they would do whatever it takes to discredit me, whether it’s true or false, so I was expecting this a long time ago.”
Adding that he no longer wants to be affiliated with NP, Mohammed said he has tendered his resignation and has already indicated to NP his position will be vacant by month’s end.
“I have already tendered my resignation. I told them I am not coming back. I need to get out of their clutches. ... I will be out of there before the end of the month,” he said.
Stating the letters contained in yesterday’s e-mail “do not even have a letterhead”, Mohammed questioned the wording of the responses, asking: “Why would someone start off by saying dear OWTU”?
“Let them go on, I am having my lawyers respond to Mr OWTU,” he said.
Mohammed claimed the OWTU was trying to discredit him since the union was of the opinion that he acted alone in firing the employees.
“The 68 people who were fired, I didn’t make that decision alone, it was myself, management, the board and the minister. Everyone was consulted and involved. In fact, I had strong views not to fire them and I was suspended,” Mohammed said.
He further claimed his suspension had nothing to do with his qualifications but “a deterioration of my relationship with the chairman and the board”.
Following the firings, Mohammed claimed he has gotten two death threats and “people calling my phone saying they know where my children live”.
Stating he is a nobody, Mohammed said the issue is now in the hands of his lawyers.
Calls to the cellphone of OWTU president-general Ancel Roget went unanswered yesterday.
On March 1, 2012, Mohammed was appointed CEO on a three-year contract.
He was suspended last October by NP board chairman Neil Gosine.
The company did not state how long Mohammed has been suspended for, but maintained his services were not terminated.
NP has come under scrutiny recently in the award of gas station contracts for new retailers and was investigating bribery allegations in connection with them.
The State company has received a report following the investigation which identifies a relationship between an NP official and a specific retailer who was granted a lucrative gas station location in June.
Sources told the Express the NP board intends to conduct further investigations into the allegations against the NP official who has been engaged in ongoing discussions with the NP board.
Following the award of gas station contracts after NP issued requests for proposals (RFPs) for 28 stations, among the successful applicants were Damian Lyder, husband of Minister of State in the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure Stacy Roopnarine, who was awarded the St Augustine-based station; Basdeo Sharma, ex-husband of restaurateur Jenny Sharma of Jenny’s on the Boulevard, who was assigned the Valencia station; Elie Zakour, a director on the Solid Waste Management Co Ltd board who was assigned the Starlite (Diego Martin) station; and Fides Ltd (whose directors are Amelia Rampersad and Shane Sagar), which was assigned the Tragarete Road, Port of Spain station.
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Corruption Galore
...under new procurement bill
By Raphael John-Lall (Guardian).
Monday, April 21, 2014
Burn it, says Winston Riley
The draft Procurement Bill, leaves procurement by the State and State-owned companies wide open to corruption and is a “waste of time” in its present state, said Winston Riley, chairman of the Public Sector/Civil Society Group on Public Procurement.
“You can burn the bill as it is a waste of time. There are loans from the international lending agencies for the procurement of goods, works and/or services that are outside of the remit of the Procurement Bill. We know that over 50 per cent of procurement for goods, works and services in our region is outside regulations. “With our approach of government to government it is about 70 per cent in T&T. So what are you having the Procurement Bill for? We are wasting time,” he told the Guardian yesterday in a telephone interview.
In the first week of April, the Procurement Bill was brought to the Senate by Planning Minister Bhoe Tewarie, who said the bill would not be debated until three weeks have elapsed to allow time for public scrutiny and discussion. Tewarie said the bill was finally approved by the Legislative Review Committee (LRC) on March 17 and subsequently approved by the Cabinet on March 20.
Riley describes Clause 7 of the bill as “disturbing” and said this clause, which excludes government-to-government arrangements from the purview of the legislation, should be removed. “Clause 7 states that the act does not apply to the procurement of goods, works or services arising out of a treaty to which T&T is a party with one or more states or with an international lending agency. Any international treaty that has to do with goods or services is outside the bill.
“The Prime Minster just came back from China with billions of dollars worth of investment. There are other government-to-government arrangements on the cards with Austria and Canada. There is the SNC Lavalin matter where the question of the sovereignty of the nation was in question. “If we allow countries to do what they want and choose who they want, then we have left out procurement itself. The core issues in any procurement legislation are accountability, transparency and the efficient use of public money.
“Just look at the massive expenditure spent on the National Academy for Performing Arts (Napa) and the Southern Academy for Performing Arts (Sapa) after they were opened.” Riley said the issue of procurement legislation goes back many years. He said 35 years ago the then administration amended the Central Tenders Board Act to exclude government-to-government contracts from the scrutiny of the Central Tenders Board.
As a result of that, the government was able to proceed with government-to-government contracts. In an attempt to bypass the public sector slowness, administrations have also set up a plethora of special purpose state-owned enterprises “which destroyed all of our institutions responsible for the delivery of good, works and services utilising public money in T&T. Even now the boards are just areas where you distribute political patronage,” he said.
He said there were “shocking” things in the first two or three drafts of the bill. “The bill was a complete replica of several bills. It was highly regulatory, thus in contradiction with Parliament’s directives. The very foundation of the earlier versions of the draft bill was wrong in the first place.” He criticised the Opposition for asking the Government to set up a policy position on the bill as he said this had been done before.
“What has been surprising to us was that the Opposition asked the Government to put up a policy position which will carry the whole process backward. The White Paper was accepted as far back as the first budget speech of this Government. I do not wish to comment on why they did this.” Despite this, he said he is in discussions with the Government.
“The major objective is that Clause 7 must be deleted or redrafted before the bill comes for debate in Parliament. I am still in consultation with the Minister of Planning on this issue. We are still hoping changes and amendments will be made to the Bill before it is debated.”
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Hopefully this is not going to end up being the longest thread on this board.
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... with or without merger of past bobol?!!!
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The use this term loosely to give credence to those who claim to be doing an honest job and really is not. Therefore what is corruption? What are concrete evidence that some action is corrupt unjust? impartial with malice? Against the norm of acceptable standards? Knowingly going against the principles and rules of practice.
How do we substantiate what is acceptable? Have we as a society operate. Under two principles? Those who strive to work and get things done according to the prescribed standards and those who understand that you could get ahead with the private transactions- bribes bypassing procedures and protocols pays offs and handshake agreements? First this is not endemic to just TnT. Again our size of country somehow makes these underhand practices very BIG in the public's eye.
In my opinion not withstanding which political party is in power I would like to suggest that each ministry should have to be accountable to public committee made up of members from each borough. To give accounts of what is being undertaken to improve the lives of citizens in each community in TNT.
It is a shame an unjust shame to read about how some areas are not serve because they voted one way or another and may not have the political affiliation as the ruling party. A government is not voted in to serve those constituents that supported them but to support the entire nation.
To ease those burden of alleged corruption it is time that we engage the population in more matters pertaining to the governance of all aspects of government from the local borough councils to the national level.
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The very cornerstone of what and who we are seeing as our leaders are evidence of this veil contagion that has a repugnant stench that runs rampant over this land like a blanket of cancerous pus flowing from an open sore to a cesspool of decaying carcass we are drowning in a tsunami of corruption and spinning in a torrential whirlwind to no foreseeable end .
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Anti-corruption bill finally passed in Parliament
By Anna Ramdass (Express).
JAIL FOR BOBOL
Legislation to curb corruption in this country was finally passed yesterday in the Senate.
However, the procurement legislation will take around six months before it is proclaimed by President Anthony Carmona and comes into effect as a number of mechanisms must be put in place before, says Planning Minister Dr Bhoendradatt Tewarie.
The Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Property (No 2) Bill, 2014 was passed with 24 votes in favour from the Government and Independent benches yesterday at the Senate sitting, at Tower D, International Waterfront Centre, Port of Spain.
The six Opposition Senators abstained from voting but the bill was passed with the required three-fifths majority.
The bill was first passed unanimously in the Senate in June 2014. It was then passed in the House of Representatives with a Government majority on July 4. It returned to the Senate yesterday for its final passage without amendments.
Speaking to the Express yesterday, Tewarie said there have been many attempts since 1997 to bring procurement legislation to Parliament, with the former People’s National Movement (PNM) government bringing a white paper in 2005 and draft legislation in 2006.
Tewarie noted the Uff Commission of Enquiry into the Urban Development Corporation of Trinidad and Tobago (UDeCOTT), under former executive chairman Calder Hart, in 2010 contained 91 recommendations to
address issues relating to corruption, which meant there were many instances which suggested corrupt practices would have taken place.
He said following this, there was agitation for procurement law and a promise was made by the Kamla Persad-Bissessar-led People’s Partnership Government to deliver.
Draft procurement legislation was then sent to a Joint Select Committee (JSC) of Parliament from 2010 and was put on a roller-coaster ride as in 2012, the PNM Opposition boycotted the JSC.
Tewarie said it has been a long journey but the country can rest assured legislation to deal with corruption and the draining of the public purse is here.
He noted the new laws will have strong sanctions against bid-rigging, collusion, and heavy fines for anyone in the public or private sector involved in corrupt practices.
He said the law also focused on issues of transparency, accountability, value for money and local industry development.
The fines range from $1 million to $10 million, with the discretion of the judge to include jail terms.
Tewarie explained it was now in the hands of the Finance Ministry to put the necessary requirements in place for the bill to come into effect.
“The next step would be to prepare the groundwork that would be done by the Ministry of Finance, and they have already engaged the United Nations Development Programme to help them with a number of things,” said Tewarie.
These include building functional capacity for the office of procurement regulation, with special emphasis on audit and investigations; provision of technical support for drafting of regulations; addressing things like bid challenges, supplier ineligibility and enforcement by the office of procurement regulations.
Other prerequisites include the provision of support for the development of effective and efficient organisational arrangements for procurement management in ministries and State enterprises.
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No construction of community centres in Bon Air, Laventille, but Contractor gets $2.7m.
By Renuka Singh (Guardian).
There are conflicting stories surrounding the payment of over two million dollars for work on two community centres in east Port-of-Spain that never got off the ground. McEachrane’s Rental and Transport Services was paid three cheques totalling over $2.7 million from February to May 2010, for work on the Bon Air Gardens Community Centre and the Marcano Quarry Community Centre, in Laventille, but no work was ever done.
The owner of the company, Victor McEachrane, was awarded both contracts under former minister of Community Development Marlene McDonald. His name is also listed as a director of another organisation, the Calabar Foundation, which also received another $375,000 cheque in May 2010. The company, however, was only legally registered three months later in August 2010, and that cheque was cashed by September 2010.
Calabar Foundation also has two other directors, Michael Carew who has been described as McDonald’s common-law husband of 20 years and his brother, Lennox Carew. McEachrane, in a telephone interview with the Sunday Guardian, confirmed that he and McDonald have been friends since their time together at university.
While McEachrane has defended the payments as “mobilisations fees” and stated that he signed the contracts “some time in May,” the former technical director of the Self-Help programme under the Ministry of Community Development, Etienne Mendez, said that up until he resigned on September 2, 2010, the two contracts were not awarded. Mendez was responsible for the construction of community centres from 2007 to 2010 under McDonald.
Mendez, in a telephone interview yesterday, said it was unclear how a contractor could have been paid for the projects without a formal award in place. “We did identify sites for those two community centres, but no contracts were awarded up until I demitted that post in September,” Mendez said. He said no company should be paid a “mobilisation fee” unless it was awarded a project.
Who checks the cheques?
The cheques contain two signatures of the then permanent secretary Angela Jack and deputy PS Hermia Tyson-Cuffie. Jack, in a telephone interview on Wednesday, added another element to the unfolding story when she claimed that she had no recollection of those cheques. “I left the ministry in August 2010 and I cannot recall those cheques. It was years ago. I suggest you contact the ministry and ask them for the invoices that led to the payment,” Jack said.
The current PS at that ministry, Victor Jones, was unable to assist. Jones, the Sunday Guardian was informed, is in the position for one month up until January 2015 and could not locate the relevant documents. But head of the Public Service, Reynold Cooper, shed some light on how cheques to contractors are paid.
“Yes, the PS is the accounting officer for the ministry but they work closely with the minister and cannot issue a cheque without the minister’s say-so,” Cooper said. “The PS takes instructions from the minister,” Cooper added.
McEachrane: I am innocent
Despite Mendez’s claim that no mobilisation fees could be paid unless a contract was formally awarded, the owner of McEachrane’s Rental and Transport Services, Victor McEachrane, was paid $2.3 million and another $400,000 towards the mobilisation for construction on the Bon Air Community Centre and another $50,000 towards mobilisation for the Marcano Quarry Community Centre.
The question is, where has the money gone? McEachrane has denied any wrongdoing in the matter and maintains that he was paid that money to mobilise workers and pay security for the two projects. McEachrane was also the contractor behind the Sea Lots Community Centre, which was delivered days before the 2010 election.
Yesterday, McEachrane said though the two projects were tendered, no company wanted the jobs because of where they were located. He said the $2.3 million payment represented a percentage of the actual cost of the contract. “The money I was paid did not end up in my pocket. After taxes, that $2.3 million was only about $2 million and that was to mobilise workers for the community centres,” McEachrane said. He claimed that after the 2010 election, the People’s Partnership stalled the two projects.
McDonald was the minister from 2007 to May 2010. “I cannot answer any questions on Calabar Foundation or why it got a cheque before it was registered,” McEachrane said. “I was only asked to be a director on a charity foundation but I never had anything to do with that,” he said.
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CU manager on $50m fraud charge.
By Derek Achong (Guardian).
A manager at Trinidad Cement Limited (TCL) Employees’ Credit Union was denied bail when he appeared in court yesterday to answer a $50 million fraud charge.
Darren Singh, 35, of Claxton Bay, appeared before Magistrate Adrian Darmanie in the Port-of-Spain Tenth Court.
He is accused of using a fraudulent document to transfer a substantial sum from the organisation’s Unit Trust Corporation (UTC) account to another account at Republic Bank’s branch,Tropical Plaza, Point Lisas.
The charge did not indicate whether Singh was able to withdraw the money after the transfer or if the money had been recouped by the credit union.
The transfer allegedly took place on January 18, 2013. However, the Fraud Squad was only able to intervene late last year when the credit union discovered the discrepancy and reported it.
Singh was arrested late last week, spent the weekend in police custody before being brought to court yesterday.
His lawyer Candace Lopez attempted to secure bail for the father of five who, she said, was the sole breadwinner for his family.
“While I admit that my client may not be a perfect man, he has agreed to abide by all the conditions that will be placed by the court in granting bail,” Lopez said as she assured Darmanie that her client would not abscond from future court appearances.
Lopez’s application was met with opposition from court prosecutor Sgt Callistas Charles who objected on a number of grounds, including the seriousness of the offence, the amount involved and the strength of the State’s case against Singh.
Charles also said the Fraud Squad was investigating allegations of threats being made to witnesses in the case.
Lopez disagreed with Charles’s witness tampering allegation as she said that it was devoid of any evidence.
Nonetheless Darmanie eventually agreed with Charles.
He stated he would only feel comfortable in granting bail after he views Singh’s criminal record which was not available during yesterday hearing.
Singh is also being represented by attorney Martin George. Lopez is expected to reapply for bail for Singh when he reappears in court tomorrow.
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Ganga defends $.5m ad campaign
By Anna Ramdass
Since its creation in July 2012, the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources has spent just over half a million dollars in advertisements in the media and public relations campaigns.
In response to a question from Opposition Senator Camille Robinson-Regis during the Senate sitting yesterday, Environment Minister Ganga Singh disclosed that $568,590.52 was spent in advertisements for the period July 2012 to November 2014.
Robinson-Regis questioned if a tendering process was used to determine which media houses got ads.
Singh said the managers of the communications units were the ones who decided “where they get bank for their buck”.
Opposition Senator Faris Al-Rawi questioned if the expenditure for advertising would be revised given the “austere” situation with falling oil prices.
“We do not regard the situation as being austere,” said Singh adding: “Even before the drop in oil prices, we got value for money in the way we manage our affairs.”
The ministry’s expenditure on advertising by year is displayed below.
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You feel they care? PR making money! Every single electronic billboard in the country have government ads running on it..."Your Government working for you"...and from when I enquired on behalf of an organization...the lowest cost was 20000 for a six week period. And this wasnt in a densely populated area. Just ONE billboard. When I study it I get vex and went and file for my tax return..cause I could find better use for my money.
Far less for the others, and for as long. Of course Ganga Singh go say " We do not regard the situation as being austere." and "We got value for money in the way we manage our affairs."
More like they got the value of the money from managing their affairs.
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Gary passes more info to cops
‘I was fired for telling the truth’ (http://www.guardian.co.tt/news/2015-02-03/%E2%80%98i-was-fired-telling-truth%E2%80%99)
By Radica Sookraj (T&T Guardian)
Published: Tuesday, February 3, 2015
(http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p12/Socapro/Iwer%20George%20embraces%20Housing%20Minister%20Dr%20Roodal%20Moonilal%20and%20Gary%20Griffith%20behind%20the%20North%20Stand%20during%20Panorama%20semi-finals%20at%20the%20Queenrsquos%20Park%20Savannah.png) (http://s124.photobucket.com/user/Socapro/media/Iwer%20George%20embraces%20Housing%20Minister%20Dr%20Roodal%20Moonilal%20and%20Gary%20Griffith%20behind%20the%20North%20Stand%20during%20Panorama%20semi-finals%20at%20the%20Queenrsquos%20Park%20Savannah.png.html)
Soca artiste Iwer George, centre, embraces Housing Minister Dr Roodal Moonilal and Gary Griffith behind the North Stand during Panorama semi-finals at the Queen’s Park Savannah, Port-of-Spain on Sunday.
PHOTO: CLYDE LEWIS
Minutes after he was fired, former Minister of National Security Gary Griffith said he had passed information to the police about another investigation involving his former Cabinet colleagues.
Griffith, however, denied he was asked to resign by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, as she had stated in her address to the nation, instead saying he was fired for speaking the truth although he was never implicated in the Section 34 fiasco involving former attorney general Anand Ramlogan.
“I was fired, I did not resign. There is a difference,” Griffith said when asked if he had offered his resignation to the Prime Minister.
Asked if he was disappointed that he was unable to fulfill his plans in the fight against crime, Griffith said, “No, it is the Prime Minister’s right to do what she did. I will continue to stand for principle.”
Saying his firing was a “red herring,” Griffith reiterated that he was never part of any investigation over the Section 34 issue.
“The Prime Minister said it was because of my involvement in an investigation. There is no cloud hanging over my head.
“What I am is a credible witness that can assist the police in the investigation. I was not a person of interest, a suspect, nor was I ever implicated in any of this,” Griffith said.
Saying the incident was rather unfortunate, Griffith confirmed attempts were made by his former Cabinet colleagues to sway him after he made a statement corroborating those made by Police Complaints Authority Director David West. That matter is now before the police.
“Because of my military training I will not tell what you want to hear, I will tell you what you need to know. I spoke the truth and I do not intend to shift my principles. I have no regrets,” Griffith said.
Griffith said he knew the repercussions of speaking the truth but chose to stand for principle, saying people should not sell themselves for personal gain.
“I’m a soldier before a politician, I will always be a soldier. I am proud of what I have done. The politicians have to start operating in the same manner.”
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This story get missed. Cliff Notes:
Two attorneys shared an office. One left. The other while clearing up...found some high court documents that probably should not have been removed. One of those attorneys often receives several state briefs.....and has had some questionable stories following him. So....I'd hope you could follow why cynical me could read this and be concerned.
http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/police-file-missing-293094031.html
police file missing
DCP Hackett: The matter is being looked into with a degree of urgency
By Denyse Renne denyse.renne@trinidadexpress.com
Story Created: Feb 20, 2015 at 10:22 PM ECT
Story Updated: Feb 20, 2015 at 10:22 PM ECT
The police report into the circumstances surrounding the removal of documents from the Port of Spain High Court which were later found in the office of a private attorney has gone missing.
Police sources told the Express yesterday efforts to locate the file have been unsuccessful and a probe has been launched to ascertain its whereabouts.
Sources say following calls by the Express to acting Commissioner of Police Stephen Williams two weeks ago about the status of the investigation, the top cop mandated his Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Glenn Hackett to enquire about the status of the investigation.
The file containing the report was discovered missing last week after several searches were conducted.
Sources further told the Express the investigation in 2011 was conducted by a sergeant attached to Special Branch and upon completion was submitted to his superior. (Note....this story only broke 2015. So nothing since 2011 was done? :banginghead:)
Whether the file was passed to then commissioner of police Dwayne Gibbs remains unknown.
Contacted yesterday for a comment Hackett said, “The matter is being looked into with a degree of urgency.” He refused to comment further when pressed.
News of the missing file comes one day after Chief Justice Ivor Archie issued a release stating he was puzzled by media reports that attorney Mark Seepersad had said he was not interviewed by the police.
According to Archie: “The Judiciary can confirm it is in possession of a Trinidad and Tobago Police Service report dated February 10, 2011, which states that Mr Seepersad was indeed interviewed and which gives details of his responses.”
Prior to this release being issued, Archie on February 13 said: “The Judiciary is aware of comments in the media concerning the discovery in October 2010 of court documents at the offices of an attorney-at-law. The matter was referred to the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) for investigation in November 2010.
“A report from the TTPS on said investigation was submitted to the Judiciary in May 2011. The report indicated that, after the interview of various individuals, no further police action in the matter was found to be warranted.
“No disciplinary action was taken by the Judiciary against the officer involved in the incident and she has since left the organisation.”
But Seepersad in an interview with the Express on February 13 said he was unaware of any police investigation taking place and was never interviewed.
He again reiterated his position on Thursday moments after Archie’s release, saying he was never interviewed by police.
Seepersad said: “I have since written to the administrative secretary to the Chief Justice bringing certain matters to his attention and until I’m sure it has come to his attention, I do not see it appropriate to comment at this time.”
CASE HISTORY
In 2010, Seepersad reported to then registrar of the Supreme Court Evelyn-Ann Petersen that court documents were found on the premises of the law chambers he shared with attorney Gerald Ramdeen.. (Check this name out.)
By letter dated November 15, 2010 addressed to Petersen, Seepersad wrote that he and Ramdeen shared law chambers at Unit 1, 27 Stone Street, Port of Spain, when he decided to dissolve the partnership.
Seepersad said on November 1, 2010, while packing the remaining documents left behind by Ramdeen, he found a box which contained a number of documents and personal effects belonging to the court.
“On inspection, I found a number of documents which, to my mind, appeared to be documents of the High Court and, in particular, the Registrar’s Chambers,” he wrote.
Seepersad said he also found “a hard-cover notebook which was labelled ‘File Movement Book’ belonging to Justice Lennox Deyalsingh (now retired). I formed the view that these documents were the property of the High Court and as such should be in the custody of the Registrar of the Supreme Court”.
In his statement to Petersen, Seepersad named Asha Harripaul as being a frequent visitor to the chambers he once shared with Ramdeen.
Harripaul was once employed as a judicial support officer (JSO) at the High Court. She resigned in June 2014 from the Judiciary. Sources say Harripaul is now employed as a staff attorney at the legal offices of Anand R Misir, which is located on Harris Street, San Fernando. (I wonder..... ::))
The Express understands that in her statement to police and the Judiciary, Harripaul said she was not assigned any permanent desk and was asked to remove her belongings from the space occupied by another JSO.
“I then took the box and asked Mr Gerald Ramdeen if he would keep the box at his office for me until I get a desk so I could put the stuff back,” she told police.
Harripaul further explained that she knew Ramdeen, and having given him the box in early 2010, she forgot all about it until January 5, 2011, after receiving a call from Sgt Guevarro who indicated he wished to speak with her about the documents.
Apart from Harripaul, Ramdeen was also interviewed by the police.
In an e-mailed response sent on January 31 following a request for comment from the Express, Ramdeen said in 2011 he was asked to attend an interview “with a police officer concerning a box containing certain items that was delivered to the Registrar of the Supreme Court by a former member of my law chambers, Mr Mark Seepersad”.
He said he attended “the interview voluntarily” and was not quizzed about any boxes of documents.
“I know nothing about documents belonging to judges nor was I asked about same. I was not asked anything about boxes of documents. This is the first time I am hearing of this,” he told the Express.
When the issue was first raised by the Express, Archie on January 29 said through his communications department that he was aware of the matter which was brought to his attention by Petersen. He said a file was sent to Gibbs and he was unable to give a status update into the investigation.
The Judiciary has since issued two releases on the issue.
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This story get missed. Cliff Notes:
Two attorneys shared an office. One left. The other while clearing up...found some high court documents that probably should not have been removed. One of those attorneys often receives several state briefs.....and has had some questionable stories following him. So....I'd hope you could follow why cynical me could read this and be concerned.
A junior attorney done say is she who brought the boxes to the shared office and fuhget them there.
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This story get missed. Cliff Notes:
Two attorneys shared an office. One left. The other while clearing up...found some high court documents that probably should not have been removed. One of those attorneys often receives several state briefs.....and has had some questionable stories following him. So....I'd hope you could follow why cynical me could read this and be concerned.
A junior attorney done say is she who brought the boxes to the shared office and fuhget them there.
Sounds familiar.
Junior clerk made some documentation error with chassis numbers with Range Rovers.
Junior clerk inadvertently sent out court information to plantiff via email...bypassing his legal representative and the defendant's legal team.
Junior clerk forgetting files at the office.
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Snakes in the Grass
Adapted from Lyrics sung by Steel Pulse
Every time you go out in the public
You get scared and you start to panic
Who got a gun
A who got a bomb
Who got a knife
Who's gonna lose their life
So-called leaders aide with deceitful faces
Corruption in a high place
You hands full with bribes
Mouth pours out lies yea
Cause of all oppression now
Running for protection
Chorus
Trinidad I wouldn't like you now
Snakes in the grass say they know not God
Polticiantricksters drinking human blood
Concrete heart can hold no love
I just can't sorry for Trinidad
Bullet-proof vest strap to your chest
Under your collar is getting hot whoa
Who got a gun
Who got a bomb
Who got a knife
Who's gonna lose their life
Chorus
Trinidad I wouldn't like you now
Snakes in the grass they know not God
Politiciantrickers drinking human blood
Concrete heart can hold no love
Trinidad I wouldn't like you now
Snakes in the grass says they know not God
Politiciantrickers drinking human blood
Concrete heart can hold no love
Hey hey don't feel no way
I just can't sorry for Trinidad
Who got a gun
Who got a bomb
Who got a knife
Who's gonna lose their life
Chorus
Trinidad I wouldn't like you now
Snakes in the grass they know not God
Politicantrickers drinking human blood
Concrete heart can hold no love
Trinidad I wouldn't like you now
Snakes in the grass says they know not God
Polytricksters drinking human blood
Concrete heart I say can't hold no love
Watch it all you leaders Who whoee
Heads of government Who whoee
Mash down parliaments Who Who
I just can't sorry for Trinidad Who
I just can't sorry for Trinidad
All that corruption
All that crime
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$157M for failed Las Alturas Towers
By Andre Bagoo (Newsday).
THERE was not only one, but in fact two contracts —- awarded by two separate State agencies and totalling about $157 million — for the failed Las Alturas Towers project at Morvant, the inquiry appointed to probe the housing development heard yesterday, as the Chinese contractor which benefitted from these contracts blanked the opening day of evidence.
At the start of a day which saw an extensive opening statement read into the transcript by Pamela Elder SC, counsel to the inquiry, Elder placed on record the fact that no official from the China Jiangsu International Corporation (CJIC) was present.
“China Jiangsu, who was made a party at the last sitting, is not present,” Elder told the commissioners at the first-floor courtroom of the Caribbean Court of Justice, Henry Street, Port-of-Spain.
“An invitation was issued to CJIC to make an opening statement, but they have declined.”
At the same time, Elder read a detailed time-line which disclosed that two separate contracts had been awarded to the firm by two separate state agencies for the same project, in circumstances which one commissioner described as “troubling.”
The exact quantum of money disbursed to the firm under the two contracts was not stated by Elder, who continues her opening statement today.
However, the senior counsel painted a picture of under-bidding, arbitrary variations from a wide range of officials not limited to the company, project cost hikes ostensibly on the basis of increased costs for materials and ever-changing plans.
Also, correspondence suggested that all stakeholders — from the state agencies involved to the consultants, designers and contractor — were aware of serious slippage problems at the site of the project, but decided to proceed notwithstanding.
“The citizens of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago who were in dire need of low-cost housing and to whom occupation of such apartments would have been the realisation of a dream, never occupied the apartments, the reason being the apartments experienced significant structural damage which rendered them uninhabitable,” Elder stated.
The Las Alturas project (the name is Spanish for “the heights”) dated back to 2002. Elder said the project was handled by two State agencies successively. Phase one involved the Urban Development Corporation of Trinidad and Tobago (Udecott) and then phase two involved the Housing Development Corporation (HDC). The second phase started in 2006.
Udecott purchased the land for the site, off the Lady Young Road, on September 26, 2002, for $3.5 million, but no documents have shed any light on the site selection process, Elder said. The project went through several permutations.
At one stage, nine four-storey buildings were planned. After the construction of two, eight more buildings were planned pursuant to a re-design which introduced townhouses.
Udecott invited seven companies to submit tenders, three did so. CJIC submitted its tender on December 17, 2003 for $67.6 million which was the lowest tender by $10.7 million. The consultant, Planning Associates Limited, recommended the firm be awarded the contract, but advised that justification be sought on the low pricing, Elder said. Anthony Farrell, one of the three commissioners hearing the inquiry, queried whether this ever took place. Elder said there was as yet no evidence that it did. Farrell also said he was troubled by the circumstances of the award.
“Something has been troubling me,” he told Elder. “The tender of CJIC was (some time) before the award of the contract. There is usually a validity period. Was there any evidence to suggest that CJIC was asked to re-evaluate their tender?”
“We have not seen that,” Elder said. Instead, in 2004, the Udecott board, chaired by Calder Hart, unanimously agreed to award a contract to the firm in the amount bid for the construction of 297 apartments. A contract was signed on June 30, 2004. The sum was for $67.6 million VAT inclusive.
But at the first site meeting on December 13, 2004, CJIC stated that they were in the process of reviewing the contract sum, “since it may not be realistic”.The firm wrote Udecott saying their tender price was too low due to an increase in the price or materials. Udecott agreed that increased cost of materials would be “re-imbursed” if they exceeded 15 percent, Elder said.
Then, HDC took over the project. When this occurred a second contract was entered into with the same firm.
Elder said in January 2008, HDC and CJIC entered into a second contract for the construction of 90 apartment units and 44 town houses at the same site, or 134 units in total, at a contract price of $74 million. She said under the Udecott contract the remaining buildings to be built had amounted to 257 since the Udecott contract had been for 297 units, 60 of these had been completed. Although HDC’s contract with CJIC was for 134 units, there was a price increase of $7.2 million.
Then, even as serious evidence of site instability was discovered, the HDC continued to push forward with the project and to award greater sums to the same contractor. In fact, they awarded $24.8 million in “variations”. It was identified by an expert that correction of the slope problem could cost US$2 million (TT$12.6 million) to US $3 million. ($18.9 million).
“In April 2010, notwithstanding the cracking, settlement and movement of buildings H and I, the board of directors of HDC unanimously approved variations in the sum of $24.8 million,” Elder said. This meant the revised contract price for the second contract was $89.9 million, VAT exclusive. Farrell questioned why the sum was not $98.8 million. But it was pointed out that the second figure was VAT exclusive.
The inquiry is chaired by retired Justice Mustapha Ibrahim and its other member is Myron Wing-Sang Chin.
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FIU probing 131 $$ transactions
http://www.guardian.co.tt/news/2015-03-03/fiu-probing-131-transactions (http://www.guardian.co.tt/news/2015-03-03/fiu-probing-131-transactions)
A total of 131 suspicious transactions have been forwarded for investigation by the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), an increase of 32, over the previous year. In its 2013-2014 annual report, which was submitted by FIU head Susan Francois to Finance Minister Larry Howai last Friday, 17 Suspicious Transaction Reports/Suspicious Activity Reports (STRs/SARs) were submitted, carrying a total monetary value of $698 million while for the same period last year, that figure stood at $1.12 billion.
The report found that just one per cent or six people who were reported for suspected suspicious transactions fell under the politically exposed persons umbrella. The FIU also completed financial analysis on 515 STRs/SARs, which is made up of 513 money laundering issues and two financing of terrorism cases. The report found that of the 515 cases analysed, 323 were filed away for intelligence purposes while further in-depth analysis was conducted on the remaining 192 cases.
Of those 192 cases, 131 reports were generated and sent to the law enforcement agencies and a further two have been sent to the Commissioner of Police. “The FIU received five STRs/SARs relating to financing of terrorism. Analysis was completed on two financing of terrorism STRs/SARs which were forwarded to the Commissioner of Police and ongoing analysis is being completed on the remaining three.
The report said the number of intelligence reports disseminated to law enforcement authorities was “significant” and also highlighted several trends and money laundering patterns, including an increase in real estate purchases. “There has been an increase in the number of persons, both local and foreign, purchasing real estate with cash. In some instances, the purchaser may be acting on behalf of a third party,” the report stated.
The FIU also found increased indications of identity fraud and identity theft. It also found increased incidents of non-nationals, who live in T&T sending “frequent and large amounts of money to their home countries by wire transfers to both family and non-family members.”
The report also indicated an increase in the intra-island money transfers. According to the FIU there is now an expanded “network of senders across the country transferring funds via money or value transfer services to individuals in close proximity to the senders’ location. The funds remitted are usually under $500,” the report noted. The FIU also sent 17 requests for information to government agencies relating to specified categories of offenses.
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http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/Attorney-removed-from-judges-team-296339601.html
Attorney removed from judge’s team’
Allegedly caught copying sensitive documents...
By by denyse renne denyse.renne@trinidadexpress.com
Story Created: Mar 14, 2015 at 9:02 PM ECT
Story Updated: Mar 14, 2015 at 9:02 PM ECT
Former judicial support officer (JSO) Dayadai Asha Harripaul has refused to comment on allegations that she was removed from the team of a sitting judge after being caught photocopying sensitive court documents without approval.
The Sunday Express approached Harripaul, now an attorney, last Wednesday at the San Fernando High Court for a response to the allegation.
Based on information received from top judicial sources and from interviews conducted, the Sunday Express asked Harripaul to confirm or deny that a request was made by a judge to have her removed from his team where she served as JSO in 2012.
Harripaul continued walking and refused to answer.
Asked about the alleged photocopying of sensitive court documents without permission and why this was done, Harripaul again refused to say anything.
The Sunday Express persisted in getting a response but Harripaul refused to say anything.
Harripaul, the Sunday Express understands, was called to the Bar last year and resigned her JSO position.
Sources say shortly after the alleged photocopying incident, the judge complained to Harripaul’s immediate supervisor and she was immediately removed from the team and placed on the team of another judge.
However, her duties were scaled down.
This incident, judicial sources say, occurred in 2012.
Prior to this incident, Harripaul had submitted a report to court officials regarding documents being taken by her and handed to attorney Gerald Ramdeen in 2010.
Efforts to contact the judge were unsuccessful, as the Sunday Express was told he was unavailable.
Sources further say investigators probing the 2010 removal of files from the Supreme Court are aware of this incident and have compiled a list of individuals to be interviewed.
Some of the individuals include former registrar of the supreme court Evelyn Ann Petersen who, the Sunday Express understands, is currently residing in Canada.
Petersen had submitted a statement to police in 2011, expressing concern over the removal of the documents from the High Court and being given to Ramdeen.
Section manager and second deputy marshal (clerk to judges) Maureen Matthews Ochoa, Sandra Mohan Pariag, the judge and former colleagues of Harripaul and the human resources manager at the time are also expected to be interviewed by police.
Senior judicial sources who are aware of the 2012 incident, have also raised concerns as to why no disciplinary action was taken by the Judiciary, since this was the second incident where Harripaul’s conduct was called into question.
On February 13, Chief Justice Ivor Archie issued a statement saying “the Judiciary is aware of comments in the media concerning the discovery in October 2010 of court documents at the offices of an attorney-at-law. The matter was referred to the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) for investigation in November 2010.
“A report from the TTPS on said investigation was submitted to the Judiciary in May 2011. The report indicated that after the interview of various individuals, no further police action in the matter was found to be warranted.
“No disciplinary action was taken by the Judiciary against the officer involved in the incident and she has since left the organisation.”
Archie’s statement came following comments from the police that the 2010 incident was investigated and no wrongdoing was found.
The police, in their report, had also indicated that attorney Mark Seepersad, who brought the discovery of the confidential court documents to the attention of Petersen, was interviewed. It is a claim which Seepersad has denied.
Apart from this, senior police officers are also questioning the reason(s) behind the move to have Special Branch detective Sgt Allister Guevarro conduct a criminal investigation into the 2010 incident.
Guevarro was appointed by his seniors to investigate the circumstances surrounding the confidential files being found on the premises of the Stone Street law chambers which was once shared by Ramdeen and Seepersad.
Sources say it is not the norm to have Special Branch officers conduct criminal probes, since such officers are used for bodyguard services and intelligence gathering.
“That investigation, ought to have been conducted by either the Fraud Squad or Anti-Corruption Bureau,” the source said.
Two weeks ago following a Sunday Express expose which questioned the handling of the 2010 investigation, acting Commissioner of Police Stephen Williams mandated Assistant Commissioner of Police Simon Lendor to re-open the case.
In 2010, Seepersad reported to Petersen that he and Ramdeen shared law chambers at Unit 1, 27 Stone Street, Port of Spain, when he decided to dissolve the partnership.
Seepersad, in his report to Petersen, said on November 1, 2010, while packing the remaining documents left behind by Ramdeen, he found a box which contained a number of documents and personal effects belonging to the court.
“On inspection, I found a number of documents which, to my mind, appeared to be documents of the High Court and, in particular, the registrar’s chambers,” he wrote.
Seepersad said he also found “a hard-covered notebook which was labelled ‘File Movement Book’, belonging to Justice Lennox Deyalsingh (now retired), and “I formed the view that these documents were the property of the High Court and as such should be in the custody of the registrar of the Supreme Court.”
In his statement to Petersen, Seepersad named Harripaul as being a frequent visitor to the chambers he once shared with Ramdeen.
Harripaul and Ramdeen were interviewed by police.
Ramdeen in an interview with the Sunday Express said though he went to the interview voluntarily, he was never questioned about the court documents.
Harripaul in her interview with the police, admitted to taking the documents and giving them to Ramdeen for safe keeping, since she was not allocated a personal desk at the High Court to store her belongings.
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MILLION$ MI$$ING
By Andre Bagoo (Newsday).
MULTI-million-dollar discrepancies have been identified in the books of the Strategic Services Agency (SSA) for the years 2003 to 2008, according to long-awaited reports done by the Auditor General this year which were submitted to the Parliament last week
.Sealed reports, tabled in the Senate on Tuesday and then in the House of Representatives on Wednesday, state that in addition to there being mis-matches, weaknesses continue to exist in the internal control system of the intelligence agency.
The SSA was established by an act of Parliament on October 4, 1995, under the PNM. Under the Strategic Services Agency Act, which was later amended in 1997, the main functions of the agency are to: “act as an office for centralising information that could facilitate the detection and prevention of illicit traffic in narcotic drugs.”
Crucially, the act stipulates that the agency is to “provide intelligence and analytical support for the appropriate operational and intelligence arms of the appropriate services”. The SSA is also to “provide a nucleus of specialist intelligence personnel who are able to advise and assist investigating officers concerning operational priorities and deployment of resources.”
Employees of the SSA must take an oath of secrecy and the agency is given power to “exercise disciplinary control over” staff. Section 10 of the act stipulates that the accounts of the agency are to be audited annually by the Auditor General, forwarded to the Minister of National Security (under whose ministry the SSA falls) and laid in Parliament.
Audits for the years 2003 to 2008 had been outstanding for years, until finally being tabled in Parliament last week. Though tabled, the Office of the Auditor General attached seals to the reports, as has become the practice in relation to these reports.
Nonetheless, the reports, seen by Sunday Newsday, state that for each of the years 2003 to 2008 respectively, “weaknesses continue to exist in the internal control system. These were drawn to the attention of the Agency.”
For the year 2007, there was an un-reconciled difference of $2.5 million in relation to a cash in bank figure of $12.3 million. The general ledger figure for the same item also appeared off by $1.6 million in the balance sheet.
“Several errors were noted in the cash flow statement,” the Acting Auditor General Majeed Ali said. The auditor, therefore, qualified his audit report.
In the year ended September 2007, training expenses rose from $139, 481 to $6.8 million. The total government subvention for that year grew from $10.6 million the year prior to $18.8 million, almost a doubling of the agency’s funding. The expenses for computer and related accessories was $4.1 million, up from $24,766.87. A figure of $1 million was recorded as due from the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service.
For the year 2008, cash in bank was again problematic, with an un-reconciled difference of about $400,000 in the reconciliation statement and a difference of $1.9 million in the balance sheet. Fixed assets were also understated, and a difference of $300,000 in accruals could not be explained. The accounts were again qualified. Subvention rose to $20 million in that year and an item for “Special Short-Term Projects” appeared at a cost of $6.6 million.
Additionally, for the year 2005, the figure of $601,160.66 representing fixed assets was understated by $273,774.12 as a result of prior year errors. As a result, Acting Auditor General Majeed Ali qualified the report for this year as well. A similar problem occurred in the books for 2006, with the same item being understated by $279,574.01 and therefore wrongly appearing in the books as $838,289.09.
An expense item of $1.5 million appeared in the books for 2006, in relation to the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF) set up to implement counter-measures in relation to money-laundering.
In 2010, Sunday Newsday reported that over a span of two decades, successive Auditors General have questioned weaknesses in internal controls at the State agency which was identified as one body to be subsumed under new surveillance arrangements in the wake of the 2010 disclosures on the extent of State spying on citizens.
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Rowley: Party will not tolerate corruption
By By Gyasi Gonzales
POLITICAL Leader of the People’s National Movement Dr Keith Rowley told candidates yesterday that the party will not tolerate corruption.
“Every political office in the political arena is circumscribed by a sell-by date and the term of office for a Member of Parliament is five years if the Government lasts five years, because if you come into (politics) thinking you will last the rest of your life it means you expect to be selected over and over.”
http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/-Rowley-Party-will-not-tolerate-corruption-300563111.html (http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/-Rowley-Party-will-not-tolerate-corruption-300563111.html)
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GLENN BROKE RULES
Report details how Ramadharsingh breached Customs but ex-minister insists he did no wrong
By Denyse Renne (Express).
A four-page report detailing how former minister of the people and social development Dr Glenn Ramadharsingh and his wife Arlene breached Customs and Excise is now in the hands of Head of Protocol Joan Brammer.
The report was written by facilitation officers Cherisse Blandin and Rae-Ann Alphonse of the Airports Authority of T&T (AATT) and submitted on April 9 to Brammer shortly after the breach by the Ramadharsinghs.
The report, which has been obtained by the Express, states that Ramadharsingh and his wife Arlene breached Customs regulations by not being cleared by Customs and Excise upon their arrival at Piarco International Airport on April 9.
The couple had returned from a swim meet in St Kitts, in which Ramadharsingh had participated.
The Express yesterday reported exclusively that Customs and Excise had launched a probe into the incident.
Efforts to contact Brammer were unsuccessful.
Ramadharsingh who was contacted by the Express last Wednesday denied he and his wife were not cleared by Customs.
In a text to the Express last Wednesday, Ramadharsingh stated:
“Further to your comment earlier that I did not pass through Customs, I wish to state that there is absolutely no truth to this statement at all. You can contact the Customs and Excise Division where you will find documentary evidence of the declaration I made to the Customs on Thursday 9th April 2015.
“Kind regards.”
Following publication of the story yesterday, Ramadharsingh issued the following media release:
“I wish to state for the records that in the past, both as a Minister of Government and as an MP, I have always followed all the relevant protocols on arrival and departure at the airport, in immigration, at customs and excise, and have always displayed respect for those who provide me with the laid down procedure through the VIP Lounge. It has never been, is not now, and will never be in the future my intention to disregard those systems. To say otherwise, as suggested in the article, is totally false and misleading.
“I wish to state categorically my declaration form was given to the Customs and Excise Division for me and my family and they allowed me to leave with my luggage. The report contained in the Express is totally untrue”.
The four-page report, however, contradicts Ramadharsingh’s recollection of the events.
Efforts to contact Ramadharsingh yesterday were unsuccessful.
The report states that on April 9, 2015, “Mr Ramadharsingh and Arlene Maharaj arrived on Liat LI 523 at 10.25 pm.
“They were met in the diplomatic line in Immigration Hall by a Facilitation Officer from the Diplomatic Reception Lounge, after which they were escorted to the VIP room to meet his welcoming party.
“The group indicated they wished to make a presentation to Mr Ramadharsingh and take pictures . They were given a few moments in the VIP room to do so. The officer retained Ramadharsingh’s diplomatic passport and Customs Declaration form, while Arlene kept hers.
“About ten minutes after, the officer returned to the VIP area and found Mr Glenn, his wife and welcoming party had vacated the room, without informing personnel present in the lounge.
“After questioning the security officer posted outside the lounge, it was discovered the group left five minutes before.
“A search was made in the public areas, both inside and outside the Atrium, in addition to contacting the protocol and facilitation co-ordinator at her home to request a telephone number to reach Mr Ramadharsingh; efforts to contact the others were unsuccessful”.
The report added, “Further searches to the Atrium led to the observation of two persons who were part of the welcoming party. Radha Salick and another female.
“Ms Salick had in her possession the passport and declaration of Ms Maharaj. She told authorities both had already left the airport and she was instructed by Mr Ramadharsingh to hand in Ms Maharaj’s declaration form and to retrieve their checked luggage.
“After being told by the Facilitation Officers that the proper procedure wasn’t adhered to and the passengers ought not to have left without clearing Customs, Ms Salick indicated Mr Ramadharsingh was tired and wished to leave and may not have been aware of the procedures”.
“The declaration form and passport were taken from Ms Salick and together with Mr Ramadharsingh’s, taken to the Customs Collector, Ms Joseph, who asked for the passengers.
“After being told by the facilitation officers the location was unknown, Ms Joseph became annoyed, collected the declaration forms and returned the passport .
“She indicated she wished to see Ms Salick about collecting the checked baggage and Ms Salick was escorted into Customs Hall by the Facilitation Officer.
“After telling Ms Salick of the breaches committed by Mr Ramadharsingh and Ms Maharaj, Ms Joseph asked to speak with Mr Ramadharsingh to obtain his permission to release the luggage to Ms Salick.
“After speaking with Mr Ramadharsingh on the phone and informing him of the infringement of Customs regulations, Ms Joseph made arrangements for the luggage to be handed over to Ms Salick, who was then allowed to leave Customs Hall”.
The Express, following information received on the breach, had contacted AATT chairman Jason Julien last Thursday afternoon.
Julien, during a brief interview had said: “I was briefed only when you enquired. I asked of management what happened and managements provided me with a verbal report about the incident on what transpired.”
Julien was also asked whether Ramadharsingh had been cleared by Customs and he said, “Based on the report I received, it appears that he did not and it appears from the report he would have left the airport without going through Customs.”
Last year, police were also investigating a report of disorderly behaviour by Ramadharsingh on board a domestic flight from Tobago to Trinidad on March 16.
In that incident, Caribbean Airlines Ltd (CAL) flight attendant Ronelle Laidlow, 25, had filed a complaint that the former minister’s hand touched her breast when he reached for her ID badge, which was pinned to her blouse, and threatened to have her fired.
Two official reports were made by the flight attendant—to the security department of the AATT and the Piarco police sub-station.
Ramadharsingh subsequently apologised for his behaviour , saying he was suffering from “severe fatigue” but denied touching Laidlow or threatened to have her fired.
He was subsequently fired by the Prime Minister on March 25.
EMBARKATION AND DISEMBARKATION OF PASSENGERS AND OTHER PERSONS
Chapter 78.01
Section 97
Every person disembarking from any aircraft or ship which has arrived in Trinidad and Tobago and is not alongside any jetty,quay or wharf, shall proceed in a licensed drogher or ship’s boat or a drogher’s boat licensed as such, or a boat belonging to the State or a licensed motor launch, or a boat propelled by oars and licensed to carry passengers under the Harbours Act, by the most direct route to the place prescribed for the landing of baggage, or such other place as the Comptroller may in any special circumstances permit, and there disembark and proceed to the place appointed for the examination of baggage, or to such other place as the proper Officer may direct and there remain until he has received the permission of the proper Officer to leave the Customs area.
Section 98
Except as provided in regulation 97, every person disembarking from an aircraft or ship, which has arrived in Trinidad and Tobago shall proceed forthwith to the place appointed for the examination of baggage or to such other place as the proper Officer may direct and there remain until he has received the permission of the proper Officer to leave the Customs area.
Section 99
The provision of regulations 97 and 98 shall apply to any person who has gone on board or alongside any aircraft or ship which has arrived in Trinidad and Tobago and who returns on shore.
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:applause:
Yuille-Williams cleared
http://www.guardian.co.tt/news/2015-04-18/yuille-williams-cleared (http://www.guardian.co.tt/news/2015-04-18/yuille-williams-cleared)
The Sunday Guardian also understands that Yuille-Williams is expected to be cleared of any wrongdoing in the allegation that she and the administrators of the Scholarship Fund were guilty of misconduct and misbehaviour in public office.
Williams’s case was referred to the DPP in 2013 after a forensic report unearthed several anomalies in the award of scholarships under Williams.
Some of the issues highlighted were that some 225 people with no filed applications received funding of just under $11 million ($10,997,552) in aggregate over the review period; that submitted files of 1,295 applicants contained no documentation that provided any evidence of financial need or untoward socio-economic circumstances; and that 420 of the applicants who provided no evidence of financial need in their applications received funding amounting to $20.1 million in aggregate over the review period.
Even if any of the former ministers are found to be in breach of the Integrity in Public Life Act, there is no sanction. There must be evidence of at least misbehaviour in public office for any charges to be laid against alleged wrongdoers.
The last summary report published by the Integrity Commission lists at least eight investigations that have been forwarded to the DPP, the majority of which are ready to be closed or returned for further investigations.
One such case, involving allegations against former Udecott chairman Calder Hart, has already been thrown out by the DPP on the grounds that it is not a criminal matter. Hart’s matter is currently before the civil courts, as the Government is seeking to recover some $100 million from Hart.
The Sunday Guardian understands that Hart has retained local legal representation and the matter is moving through the judicial system.
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$M RENTALS
ANDRE BAG00 (Newsday).
Sunday, May 17 2015
OVER TWO successive Government administrations, the State has paid out millions for buildings that remained unoccupied, according to the findings of auditors charged with the responsibility of examining public books.
A Sunday Newsday review of official reports into the public accounts, produced by two successive Auditors General and covering the period 2007 to 2014, has found that the State has repeatedly flouted financial rules governing how public money should be spent in relation to property.
The latest report from the Auditor General’s Department for the year 2014 discloses at least five instances where money - in one case $26 million - was paid for unoccupied premises.
Additionally, the Report of Auditor General Majeed Ali, tabled in Parliament last week, further discloses massive expenditure incurred over the years since 2005 ostensibly in relation to the restoration of heritage buildings. The buildings remain empty and in a state of decay.
In relation to the Elections and Boundaries Commission, Auditor General Ali finds the breach of financial rules in relation to one empty property.
“Additional premises were rented from 10th May, 2013 at a cost of $73,025 per month for one Registration Area,” Ali states. “However, these premises remained unoccupied, reportedly waiting to be outfitted. A total rental of $998,793.54 was paid for the unoccupied premises at the time of the audit visit in June 2014. This contravenes Financial Regulation 34, which places the responsibility on the Accounting Officer to eliminate non-essential services and to use public funds to the best advantage. Rent on the existing occupied premises continued at a cost of $8,500 per month.”
In relation to the Personnel Department, Ali states a total rent of $26 million was paid for an unoccupied premises.
“Total rent of $26,694,504.19 for the period 10th December, 2012 to 30th September, 2014 was paid to one landlord for unoccupied premises,” the Auditor General states. “This contravenes Financial Regulation 34 which places the responsibility on the Accounting Officer to eliminate non-essential services and to use public funds to the best advantage.”
The Auditor General’s Report into the public accounts for 2014 also found similar problems at Government ministries.
At the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, Ali notes, “Cabinet in 2009 agreed to the lease/rental of office space in a building located in Port-of-Spain to accommodate the Ministry of Local Government. Approvals were later seen for the outfitting of the building. However, the building reportedly remained unoccupied from 1st December, 2009. Information received revealed that the lease was transferred to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development with effect from 1st August, 2014. Monthly rental of $865,949.42 was being paid for the unoccupied premises as at 30th September, 2014.”
At the Ministry of the Arts and Multiculturalism, a similar instance is detailed.
“A total of $847,504 relating to rent and electricity was paid to one landlord for unoccupied premises for the period October 2013 to May 2014. This contravenes Financial Regulation 34,” Ali states.
Moving on to the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources, the Auditor discloses another instance of waste, this time at Tobago.
“Rental of a building and car park spaces for the Tobago office of the Green Fund Executing Unit was paid at $16,000 per month since December 2011,” Ali states. “The Building however remained unoccupied. The total paid from inception to April 2014 was $464,000 This contravenes Financial Regulation 34.”
The Auditor’s Report also details how the State - since 2005 - has pumped millions into seemingly never-ending restoration works of heritage buildings.
Ali states expenditure on restoration of Stollmeyer’s Castle - part of the scenic Magnificent Seven around the Queen’s Park Savannah - has totalled $73.4 million, over the years 2005 to 2014. Expenditure on restoration of neighboring Whitehall, over 2009 to 2014, has totalled $6.4 million.
“As reported in the previous year, the building continues to be bird-infested and deteriorating,” Ali states. “Antique furniture and fittings are also not being adequately secured and protected. The current location of items of furniture, equipment, paintings etc. which had been on the premises before the start of the project could not be ascertained. The building and surroundings were also not being properly maintained although a service provider had been retained for this purpose.”
But the problem of the State spending millions on empty buildings also appears in the reports of the previous Auditor General Sharman Ottley.
In her report for the year 2007, under the PNM, Ottley details another instance involving the Elections and Boundaries Commission.
“Six cheques dated 2006 September 29, totalling $1.6 million, were seen on hand at the time of audit,” she states. “The narration on three cheques totalling $231,000 was, ‘Services rendered for the construction of the Siparia Office’. The narration on the other three cheques totaling $1.4 million was, ‘Payment for services rendered re: construction of Arima Office.’”
Yet, “signed contracts in respect of the above were not produced, neither was evidence of an award by the Central Tenders Board seen in respect of the amount of $1.4 million. Further, there was no evidence of any work done at either of the offices during site visits paid by audit officers in 2007 October.”
In her report for 2008, Ottley discloses a pricey rental paid by the Ministry of Information.
“It was seen that the ministry paid a monthly rent of $138,000 for a property in Port-of-Spain during the period 2007 December 18, 2008 September 30,” Ottley states. “However, there was no evidence that this property was occupied during the aforementioned period.”
In her report for 2011, Ottley discloses a similar instance in relation to the Ministry of Local Government.
“In 2009 December, the Ministry of Local Government entered into an agreement to lease office space and car park spaces and for security services at a particular location,” the then Auditor General states. “To date, these premises have not been occupied. Expenditure for the financial year totalled $9,887,700.00 and since the inception of the lease, the amount paid to 2011 September 30 was $17,453,544.78.”
Ottley’s report for 2012 also took a look at unoccupied property at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“One property which has been unoccupied since March, 2009 was observed to be maintained at an average monthly cost of approximately $22,715,” Ottley states. “Expenditure from March, 2009 to September, 2012 on this property totalled approximately $976,745.”
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Letter to the editor: Have we turned the corner?
(Trinidad Express)
What interests me most about Jack Warner's indictment is the efficiency of the US Justice Department in bringing the case to a point where Jack has to answer, but this is in sharp contrast to our own judicial system which, from my own memory, can hardly boast of a single case of similar repute where such has happened.
With all the talk about Calder Hart (former executive chairman of the Urban Development Corporation), he is yet to be called to answer as much as the principals of a major credit union, also from that bygone era. In this era, there are so many cases, as with the latter two, still in abeyance:
1. The insider trading case involving officials from a major bank and, again with the same bank, the illegal transfer of $60 million
2. The Soldado affair, with allegations of illegal payments and the proven culpability of the same company, re the damaging environmental spill of a year ago
3. The excessive payments in fees to junior officers by the principal of a State financial institution
4. The recently unearthed car racket making the headlines
5. The allegations of huge Government contracts and kick-backs
6. The falsifying of qualifications, the seriousness of which is reflected in the indictment in Pakistan of the executive responsible for something similar
7. The unsolved murder of a prominent attorney.
And I can go on and on and on, but the point is clear.
Is it pervasive incompetence, a lack of will, the absence of motivation you see in the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) or the British Security Service (MI5), that professionalism in wanting to get the job done because it's what you do and you take pride in it? The latter has to with character but that word seems a misnomer in this country, for character has little place in a culture where serving the self through kick-backs and opportunities for self-advancement, especially through political interference, are the more powerful incentives.
Does the premier investigative institution in this country contain situations where the latter exists and, if so, does this help to explain the situation of so many unsolved cases? Is there, by extension, a sense that to do your job is to court disaster, for you would be treading on the corns of people who have the power and influence to hurt you, so you just let it be? The latter is the death of professionalism and when it becomes almost cultural, to the point of being endemic, where are we headed?
But who knows, this latest development may just be the beginning of setting in motion of the idea the corrupt must be made to answer and, in this country, there is an unending list of candidates.
Errol Benjamin
via e-mail
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<font color="Blue">Thousands of US dollars missing from Children’s Life Fund
</font>
Published on Jul 4, 2015, 9:50 pm AST
Updated on Jul 4, 2015, 9:51 pm AST
By Mark Bassant
CCN Senior Multimedia Investigative Journalist
THOUSANDS of United States dollars have been diverted from the Children's Life Fund Authority (CLFA) bank account, the Authority's former chief executive has alleged.
The well-intentioned fund, a 2011 initiative Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar endorsed by placing part of her monthly salary into it, was designed to cater to sick children who needed life-saving medical procedures.
But a dossier of documents obtained by the Express alleges that money intended for parents accompanying their sick children abroad for surgery, was never received by the parents.
Mark Bassant investigates: Life Fund Scandal - Stealing from children
Over the past two years at least, some of the money promised to the parents of sick children to assist with transport costs remain unaccounted for, with even the current board clueless about the missing money.
Then CEO of the CLFA Genevieve Madoo, who started the job in March 2014, wrote a letter on May 7, 2014 to Minister of Health Dr Fuad Khan about an “...urgent matter involving fraudulent and dangerous activity in respect to the handling of money disbursed for meal allowances and transport at the Children's Life Fund Authority”.
Madoo alleged that a former employee had obtained close to US$7,700 (some TT$50,000) by duping parents into signing receipts for money they were supposed to receive for day-to-day expenses when they travelled with their children for operations in Colombia, Argentina and the United States.
The former employee was suspended and never returned to work.
In attempting to verify if the money was obtained by at least 14 parents at that time, Madoo met with several parents in May 2014.
None recalled obtaining the money, although money was deducted from the CLFA bank account, she explained in her letter to Dr Khan.
As a follow-up to her findings almost a week later, Madoo wrote an official police report to Inspector Romany of the Fraud Squad to report allegations of “fraud and embezzlement” as it pertained to an employee.
Among the parents were Anton Drayton, Nicole Roberts, Catherine Fahey-Anderson, Abdul Mohammed, Giselle Ramlochan, Al Razi Mohammed, Cindy Bridgelal, Sade Ifill, Olivia Galera, Anita Gosine, Tammu Pope, Laura Ramsawak, Endranie Doorgah-Swan and Dilana Peters.
The report stated: “In some cases, the parents have claimed that the signature on the receipt is not their own. In most cases, the parents claim that the signature is theirs but have no clue as to how it appeared on the cash receipt as they had never seen the receipt. There are two cases where parents have said they were given blank pages to sign and told that these are for travel tickets. When they were presented with the cash receipts they said these appear similar to the blank pages that were signed.”
The alleged period of activity, Madoo stated, occurred between September 2013 and April 2014.
The Express obtained at least 14 written testimonials of parents, which the then CEO had handed over not only to the police but to Health Minister Khan in which they all denied receiving any money for their meals and transport.
Madoo had hoped that some follow-up action would have been initiated.
But one year later, the police have been silent on the ongoing investigation, with the Health Minister, in an Express newspaper report on June 20, even denying there was any corruption in the Life Fund last month, .
The Express had originally sent several questions to Prime Minister Persad-Bissesar on Wednesday since the dismissed CEO wrote to her in May.
But Khan contacted the Express early Thursday morning indicating that the Prime Minister had asked him to deal with the questions.
“When I saw it I indicated to Ms Madoo that this is a serious problem,” said Khan.
He said the matter was now in the hands of the police and they were looking into the matter, but they have not reached out to him since the report was made last year.
Outside the remit of the police, did the Children's Life Fund Authority seek any other advice?
Interim chairman of the board Dr Colin Furlonge who was also present during the interview said, “Any investigation that we would do, would actually duplicate what the police were responsible for doing, so we left it in the hands of the police.”
But the Express obtained a private and confidential legal document showing that attorney Rajiv Persad (now a temporary High Court judge and member of the Integrity Commission) indicated that the CLFA sought his advice on issues surrounding the money and the employee and if disciplinary action could be justified.
Persad's advice in his ten-page document to the board stated: “...On numerous occasions persons who were receiving funding from the Authority for medical care for their children were not informed and never received monies for meal allowances in circumstances where the records of the Authority plainly suggest that these persons received such monies for the meal allowances. There is also material to suggest that monies where withdrawn from the bank and given to officials of the Authority. The simple point remains that these monies taken from the fund of the Authority ostensibly for the assistance of family members of patients never found its way to these persons who were entitled to these monies.”
When contacted, Madoo said she could not comment since she was pursuing legal action in relation to her dismissal as CEO.
http://www.trinidadexpress.com/20150704 ... -life-fund (http://www.trinidadexpress.com/20150704/news/thousands-of-us-dollars-missing-from-children8217s-life-fund)
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Everything single thing that this Pee Pee/UNC government does is based upon creating opportunities to steal more T&T taxpayers’ money and to continue enriching themselves and their party financers.
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'Corruption busters' face $m bill
Following collapse of case against former UTT president, directors...
By Denyse Renne (Express).
THEY were touted as the corruption-buster team and tasked with recovering $2 billion in “taxpayers' dollars” following allegations of corruption at State enterprises.
More than $45 million was spent on retaining their services for investigating State boards, a figure which excludes court appearances to date.
Questions are now being asked by attorneys who sought the interest of the clients who were hauled before the courts for the past two years whether due diligence was done by attorneys Vincent Nelson QC, Gerald Ramdeen and Varun Dabideen, in advising the University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT) that there was a case to be answered by the former board when evidence showed otherwise.
And because of the collapse of UTT's case, it is expected “wasted costs” applications will be made to the courts and, if successful, Nelson, Ramdeen and Dabideen would be ordered to pay the costs incurred from their own pockets as opposed to taxpayers footing an already exorbitant bill.
Former UTT directors Scott Hilton-Clarke and Errol Pilgrim have already indicated they will pursue this route, having spent money on retaining legal representation for the civil suit.
Sources told the Sunday Express, four senior attorneys were approached by a then senior Government official to provide their services in several civil cases, including UTT, but after looking at the contents of the briefs realised there was no case to answer and declined to be part of the proceedings.
Last Wednesday the multimillion-dollar lawsuit filed by UTT, on the advice of Ramdeen and Dabideen, against its former president, Prof Ken Julien, and five other former directors—Dr Rene Monteil, Giselle Marfleet, Hilton-Clarke, Ravindra Nath Maharaj and Pilgrim—collapsed after the Office of the AG filed notice of discontinuance at the Hall of Justice in Port of Spain.
Marfleet, through her attorney, Deborah Peake SC, had struck a deal with the Office of the AG before the commencement of the trial. The terms and conditions for this deal were not made available to the court.
The former directors' legal team included Senior Counsel Douglas Mendes and John Jeremie, and attorneys Larry Lalla, Kerwyn Garcia, Stuart Young and Ravi Heffes-Doon.
Based on the legal advice given, UTT was seeking to recover more than $11.4 million it claimed it lost after the defendants' alleged breach of fiduciary duty and their failure to exercise due diligence.
This alleged failure came in the form of the subleasing of the university's Aripo guest house with Consolidated Services Ltd, for a five-year renewable lease at a monthly rental of $50,000, as well as accommodating Rev Juliana Pena, the spiritual adviser to former prime minister Patrick Manning.
The former board members are in the process of suing the State for damages.
Contacted for a comment on Thursday, AG Garvin Nicholas said: “You would recall when I took office, I did say I would review the cases that fell under my purview and I have been looking at them.
“And based so far on the evidence that has been presented to me, I'm comfortable with the other matters. The evidence that was presented in the UTT case, where a witness statement was concerned, actually changed under cross-examination. So we were not privy to those facts and that is why when the evidence changed, I had to review and make a decision, but based on what we have in evidence for the other matters, I feel fairly comfortable with those at this time.”
'Review all civil suits'
Former attorney general Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj SC, in a brief interview, called on Nicholas to review all civil suits the State filed under Ramlogan.
He said, “The collapse of the case and the comments of Prof Julien and other defendants in the case that it appears (the case) was a political witch-hunt is a serious matter.
“This is very serious because if the State was going to file an action for damages, the State ought to be sure there was evidence. In this case, the State did not make out there was no evidence to support the ingredients of the allegations of civil wrong.” Maharaj said.
“How the Government agreed to commence these proceedings is anyone's guess. I am calling on the Prime Minister to take steps and have the other matters reviewed so that they will not end up in the same spate. It is taxpayer's monies and they are being saddled with the costs,” he added.
How it started
A five-member team comprising Queen's Counsel Alan Newman, British forensic accountant Martin Hall, Guyanese commercial attorney Akbar Ali and local attorneys Gerald Ramdeen and Mark Seepersad were introduced to the populace at a media briefing on August 13, 2010, at the Office of the Attorney General.
The man behind the appointments, then AG Anand Ramlogan had the blessing of Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar and Government members to commence the probes.
Their mandate: uncover corruption with the aim of securing both criminal and civil proceedings against former State board members who served under the then Patrick Manning administration.
The team had been commissioned by Ramlogan to investigate the operations of several State agencies, including UTT, Petrotrin, The Sports Company of T&T (SporTT) T&T Electricity Commission (T&TEC), Evolving Technologies and Enterprise Development Co Ltd (eTecK) and the Scarborough Hospital. There was also an audit into the water taxi Su.
The alleged criminal wrong-doing uncovered was supposed to have been passed onto the police for further investigation.
Within a year into the probes, Ramlogan changed his tune, saying the probes would only concentrate on civil proceedings.
Checks with the police, as well as the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) revealed no matter concerning UTT, eTecK, Petrotrin, SporTT, MV Su, or T&TEC are being criminally probed.
On the team's budget, according to Ramlogan, on August 13, 2010, “No price is too heavy for this country to pay to unravel the corruption and mismanagement that took place under the PNM, to ensure that it never happens again and to ensure that the public's sense of outrage and sense of justice is one that is satisfied, provided there is a case to answer. I attach no ceiling to this matter.”
Three months later, Seepersad left the team while on January 18, 2011, Hall died of a heart attack.
The team was also assigned to work with police officers attached to the Anti-Corruption Investigative Bureau, a unit which falls under the remit of the AG's office.
Sources told the Sunday Express during the UTT probe, several employees were interviewed and the hard drives belonging to employees were cloned. All interviews were tape recorded.
On September 16, 2010, at the opening of the 2010-2011 law term at the Hall of Justice, Ramlogan responded to criticisms by Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley, who had spoke out against Ramlogan's decision to hire “his friends” to conduct the audit.
At the time, Ramlogan responded: “I don't know if Dr Rowley expects me to hire my enemies. What am I to do, hire people who are not my friends? I have a lot of friends in the legal profession and I tend to rely on them for independent, impartial, reliable and competent legal advice, and I make no apologies for that.”
On December 11, 2010, two department heads at UTT were suspended while the audits were being conducted. A release from UTT had said while the audits and interviews were taking place, the heads of Finance and Capital Projects Divisions were sent on leave.
On September 15, 2012, Ramlogan, in a telephone interview with the Sunday Express, said, “UTT was a virtual cash cow and there was a lot of wasted expenditure of the public money. It is important that these matters such as neglect and maladministration be pursued in the public interest, and I intend to vigorously pursue the UTT, Petrotrin, eTecK and, soon to come, T&TEC.”
Checks by the Sunday Express revealed eTecK is before the Privy Council while Petrotrin versus Malcolm Jones remains slated for a case-management conference at the Port of Spain High Court.
Legal briefing and lack of due diligence
The board at UTT—chairman Curtis Manchoon, deputy chairman Kelvin Mahabir, board members Alicia Edwards, Dr Nasser Mustapha, Kwasi Mutema, Br Michael Samuel and Winston Mohammed—had expressed concerns about taking legal action against the Julien-led board. The board was also worried about the legal fees paid to attorneys and the fact UTT had no say in which legal representatives should seek the interest of UTT.
According to minutes of the meeting of the directors, held in the boardoom of the Chaguanas campus on July 5, 2012, at 1.30 p.m., concerns were expressed over the retention of outside counsel and the cost attached.
“Mr Manchoon then read from a letter dated July 6, 2012, which had been addressed to Mr Ramdeen, the lead forensic auditor. He expressed concern that the board was not allowed adequate time to fully explore the matter of the payment for the legal action.
“Members expressed serious concern about the possible level of fees for which UTT would be responsible and, over which, it had no control.”
Ramdeen, according to the board minutes, advised the board had to proceed with litigation, on behalf of UTT, against then president Julien and others whose term ended in 2010.
“He further advised that the limitation period for such action did not apply because the irregularities, which the forensic audit had revealed, had been deliberately concealed by the former board.”
The minutes further showed it was Ramlogan who asked the board to initiate the million-dollar proceedings and directed that Ramdeen, attorney Varun (Dabideen) and Queen's Counsel Vincent Nelson seek the interest of UTT.
Mohammed, according to the minutes, “Felt that clearly, the attorney general (Ramlogan) had recommended action and the forensic auditors had been appointed by Corporation Sole. He felt, therefore, that he was legally and morally obligated to comply with the request of the attorney general”.
Samuel, the minutes stated, expressed his lack of confidence in litigation as history indicated nothing ever became of these matters.
“Mr Ramdeen agreed that Br Michael's concerns were legitimate as to date, only one case had come before the Caribbean Court of Justice.
“However, he felt that individuals must be accountable for their actions and become personally liable for them. State boards are no exception and the State should be able to recover losses sustained as a result of improprieties.”
Edwards, the minutes noted, enquired when the board will be furnished with a copy of the A-team's final report since she “was reluctant to make a decision without all the information”.
“Mr Dabideen advised that it would be available by the end of July.”
Sources say, to date, the report has not been made available to the board.
Next week: Part Two—How the UTT civil case collapsed and the concerns raised by the trial judge.
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$5.7B mystery
By Andre Bagoo (Newsda).
A SINGLE page in a Budget document — detailing items totalling $5.7 billion in expenditure under the Ministry of National Security — yesterday puzzled the Standing Finance Committee of Parliament.
By the end of almost half-hour of questioning from the Opposition, MPs were nowhere closer to spelling out what exactly was covered by billion-dollar increases in “direct charges”; overtime and an allocation for “vacant posts” under Head 22 of the Draft Estimates of Recurrent Expenditure. It was the very first item reviewed by the Committee which is meant to provide detailed scrutiny of the fineprint of the Budget.
Opposition Leader Kamla Persad- Bissessar raised questions on page 120 of the document, asking what accounted for a $2.5 billion increase in personnel expenditure at the Ministry. “Of what is this increase composed of?” she asked.
“Does it mean more staff, more salaries?” Minister of National Security Brigadier Edmund Dillon said the increase was due to a number of factors.
“There has been the merger of different ministries,” he said. “For instance the prisons, forensics and the National Operations Centre returned back to the Ministry of National Security. There was also an increase in responsibility. There was an increase in salaries and there were also arrears to be paid off.” Under further questioning by the Opposition Leader, Dillon said the “increase in responsibilities”, he itemised, was actually a reference to the return of the various departments to the Ministry. Persad- Bissessar then asked about a near $1billion increase in salaries and allowances deemed “direct charges”, an item which was separate and apart from another item for, “Salaries and Cost of Allowance”.
“Could you be so kind to share with us what these are, these direct charges?” Persad-Bissessar asked.
Finance Minister Colm Imbert said, “direct charges do need to be appropriated so they do not form part of the appropriation.” He said there were about $11 billion in “direct charges” overall in the Budget. “They are not appropriated, they are first paid then the rest of the allocation is the appropriation,” Imbert said.
“But my question is what are these direct charges where we are looking at almost $1 billion in increases,” Persad-Bissessar replied.
“What do we mean when we say direct charges? It’s repeated throughout page 120.” Imbert said he would consult with civil servants on the matter. “If you require that level of detail I will get it from the Director of Budgets who is here,” Imbert said.
“That is the purpose of this committee,” the Opposition Leader replied.
Later, after making checks, Imbert said, “as I said, direct charges are charged to the Consolidated Fund without need for an appropriation. What more do you want to know? These are facts.” “That’s not the issue,” Persad-Bissessar said. “Can you give me an example of a direct charge? Tell me.” “It says salaries, what more do you want to know about salaries?” Imbert. The Opposition Leader replied, “Yes, but you have salaries (under another head already).
What is the difference? There must be an answer.” Imbert said other documents provided a breakdown of the direct charges, but the Speaker of the House intervened to suggest Imbert explain how there can be “salaries” and a separate head of “salaries — direct charges”. Imbert insisted, “it is crystal clear. The salaries are the direct charges, what more is there to say?” “I think we will move on, the minister does not appear to see a difference,” the Opposition Leader said. “He is not prepared to answer.” She vacated her question.
Both Government ministers were asked to explain why the heading for arrears due to public officers stated there were only $10,000 in arrears, despite the claim of bills left looming by the People’s Partnership administration.
“How much of this $2.5 billion increase in salaries under this head constitutes arrears?” Persad-Bissessar asked. “We will get that information for you,” Imbert replied.
The total expenditure on the single page under discussion was $5.7 billion.
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ARRESTS COMING SOON IN $549M EMBD CASE
By Mark Bassant
Lead Guardian Editor, Investigative Desk
The Anti-Corruption Investigation Bureau (ACIB) has cracked the case involving the pillaging of taxpayers' money through a fraudulent scheme involving the Estate Management and Business Development (EMBD) company in the lead-up to the September 2015 general election and arrests are imminent.
Over the last year and a half, officers from the ACIB with assistance from a UK prosecution and investigations firm–Edmonds Marshall McMahon–have been able to piece together complex financial information which forms part of the criminal investigation being pursued by the T&T Police Service (TTPS).
A document obtained by Guardian Media revealed that a prominent politician "orchestrated a scheme that resulted in significant funds being secured and spent by the EMBD six weeks before the general election on September 7," amounting to a staggering $549 million, just over half a billion dollars.
Investigators believed that this politician was able to implement the fraudulent scheme with the assistance of a former senior employee of the EMBD "who has now fled the country" and his "close acquaintances," the CEOs of at least four construction companies, "who in turn engaged the assistance of subordinates."
Investigators have painstakingly mapped out the modus operandi of the major players, several individuals and companies, who helped to facilitate this scheme from the embryonic stages to fruition.
The modus operandi, people involved
Close to five years ago, this was the modus operandi of the elaborate scheme involving a politician, prominent businessmen, advertising heads, security services, special advisers and communications specialists:
Investigators broke down the key players and their roles in the scheme.
*First, there was the controlling mind: Someone that has significant control over others
*Second, the subordinate: Someone who is under the control of a controlling mind
*Third, the launderer: Someone whose principal involvement is to receive and dissipate the criminal proceeds
How the scheme went down
1. The man termed "the boss" by investigators, with the assistance of the former EMBD senior employee and a contractor, concocted a series of road upgrade projects, known as C1-C10 roads. Investigators revealed these projects "came out of the blue" and "a note to the Cabinet seeking approval for the works and funding had been drafted long before an EMBD engineer had visited the site."
2. "The boss" instructed the senior EMBD employee to add the tenth road to the draft note which was sent to the Cabinet on the basis that "one particular contractor wanted to do the job." Investigators stated that no other justification was provided for this job and the senior EMBD employee obliged.
3. "The boss" presented the note to Cabinet and the works and funding was approved on April 30, 2015, for the sum of $330,375,000 (excluding VAT). Investigators discovered that these projects did not form part of EMBD's scope of work and, therefore, became additional funding.
4. Companies owned by "the boss's" close acquaintances were later invited to tender for the road contract.
5. By the time the tender had come around, EMBD's estimates for the cost of the roads had been arbitrarily inflated to $416,340,445 by a senior employee at the EMBD. This meant that bidders could now bid higher, the document explained.
6. Bidding companies colluded with each other to predetermine who would win which road. During the lengthy investigation, police found evidence of full bid information for the C7 and C8 roads, dated before the bids being submitted, on a computer of one of the companies in question.
7. The contracts were awarded to the companies with bids that were "suspiciously close to the estimates." At least eight of the ten bids were within two per cent of the estimates.
8. Once work on the roads began, it is alleged the companies submitted fraudulent claims for material not used or work not done. In one instance a company claimed $23 million for Guaracara boulders that were not used. Another company double-counted and over claimed a similar amount for excavation work linked to road widening that was never done.
A senior EMBD employee apparently signed off on these claims. Investigators believe he "must have been complicit." Another employee questioned the claims made by two other companies but was told by another senior EMBD employee that he had to sign off the claims because "the boss" had ordered it. An initial international expert report has confirmed the likelihood of this fraud.
9. "The boss" needed the claims signed off as quickly as possible so the drawdown of the funds could be obtained from the Ministry of Finance, the investigators stated.
10. On August 25, 2015, "the boss" instructed an official to submit the claim to the Ministry of Finance to make interim payments to the companies in the sum of $179,626,481.63 (TT).
11. The Ministry of Finance, which initially said there was no money to meet the claims, approved $100,000,000 on September 1, 2015. The following day, the senior at a particular company, after receiving instructions from "the boss" as to how the $100m should be spent, sent a message to the senior employee at the EMBD. Investigators discovered that "the boss" would regularly instruct the senior EMBD employee who should be paid.
12. "The boss" was able to help secure additional funding for the EMBD through a $400 million loan from First Citizens Bank. The investigators revealed that in total–between August 7 and September 3, 2015–the EMBD received funding to the tune of $549 million. By the close of the business on September 4, all the money had been spent. Four companies received a total of close to $400 million. Other contractors received nothing.
The deal
Investigators detailed that in exchange for winning C1-C10 contracts, having their fraudulent claims signed off and being well remunerated, "it is suspected that these companies agreed to pay kickbacks out of the proceeds, with these being either to fund (party name called) 2015 election campaign or to reward "the boss" and his friends."
According to the forensic investigation, a paper trail revealed that "about $60m of unexplained payments has been identified to companies or individuals that appear to have no commercial connection to the companies." In one instance, millions of dollars were paid to low-level employees in one of the companies that benefited from the fraudulent scheme. The document stated that "as the money trail is followed the amounts converted to cash increase."
The lengthy probe also found that apart from the enrichment of certain companies, a former senior EMBD employee who cowered to "the boss's" instructions also benefited from payments amounting to over $1 million.
Sources told Guardian Media that the money trail has led to real estate properties that were purchased in London.
During the year-and-a-half-long investigation, the ACIB conducted searches of several companies across the country. They were able to collect digital data from EMBD and other state entities. They also obtained several production orders covering at least 24 account holders and information on close to 50 bank accounts.
The ACIB was also able to obtain production orders from two telecom companies and call and message logs for at least 12 key phone numbers.
They have also obtained witness statements from EMBD staff, police officers and cybercrime officers, Central Bank, T&T Mortgage Company, Price Waterhouse Coopers and a quarry company.
CoP responds:
Commissioner Gary Griffith confirmed that a UK firm with experience was needed to assist in the EMBD matter and other matters like LifeSport and other pending cases. But he did not give any further comments regarding the status of the EMBD case.
"Obviously, in any major investigation, I cannot give specific details. I can say there is an ongoing investigation pertaining to questionable activities at the EMBD from several years ago. As in other major investigations, as in past investigations, all the matters before it must be thoroughly investigated. I have done Emailgate, Calabar Foundation the plant-like substance at the former prime minister's residence and others."
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Moonilal unconcerned about EMBD reports
by Renuka Singh (Guardian).
Opposition MP Dr Roodal Moonilal said yesterday he is not going to respond to any “obscure” reports that name no one and say nothing but talk of imminent arrests and search warrants.
Moonilal was referring to a news report which detailed a months-long investigation into fraudulent transactions and a multi-million syphon of cash out of the Estate Management and Business Development Company (EMBD).
Director of Public Prosecutions Roger Gaspard has confirmed that he had met with police officers from the Anti Corruption Investigation Bureau (ACIB) last week to discuss the half a billion-dollar corruption case involving the EMBD almost five years ago.
A police probe revealed that a prominent politician “orchestrated a scheme that resulted in significant funds being secured and spent by the EMBD six weeks before the September 2015 general election amounting to a staggering $549 million.
Moonilal said he was not concerned about the details contained in the article, which spoke of the involvement of a then sitting MP.
“Why should I be concerned? The article is obscure and says nothing of substance,” he said.
He said that the Government “planted” a story in the media in the morning so that they could refer to it in the evening and use taxpayers money to renew the contract of some international team brought in by the Government.
“The British team is trying to get a contract renewed by Friday and I am calling on the Government to cease renewal of all contracts that have cost the taxpayers millions of pounds with nothing to show,” he said.
“The most important thing is that millions is being spent on this British team that has nothing to show and they want a renewal of their contract,” he said.
Moonilal said that is why a status report was published.
“But when you read the report and you saw ‘evidence requires development’, in local language that means we don’t have a damned thing,” he said.
When asked if he was contacted by the local police or their international counterparts, Moonilal said that the only people who contacted him on this matter was the media.
He said that the only time the police spoke to him was when he was questioned a few years ago on the A&V Drilling matter and the conduct of a senior Cabinet member.
“But they have not spoke to me about anything else and I am calling on those people who making mischief by raising issues of imminent arrests and search warrants and so on because what this does is it traumatises the local police and causes embarrassment to the police who know nothing about it,” he said.
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State Dept hits corrupt T&T
SEAN DOUGLAS (NEWSDAY).
CORRUPTION and bureaucracy are impeding foreign investments into T&T, said a recent report by the United States State Department, 2020 Investment Climate Statement on Trinidad and Tobago.
It said TT is a high-income developing country with an annual GDP of $23.9 billion, which the International Monetary Fund predicts will fall by 4.5 percent this year due to collapsed global energy prices and the economic impact of covid19.
“TT’s investment climate is generally open and most investment barriers have been eliminated,” said the report, “but stifling bureaucracy and opaque procedures remain.”
The report hailed TT’s stable and democratic political system, its educated workforce, banking and insurance industries, rule of law and independent judicial system.
However it also spelt out the negative aspects of TT’s investment climate.
These were foreign exchange shortages, widespread perception of corruption among public officials, lack of transparency in public procurement, inefficient and complicated government bureaucracy, time-consuming resolution of legal conflicts such as enforcement of contracts, and violent crime.
The report said TT seeks foreign investment and has no laws nor practices to discriminate against foreign investors.
“But some have seen the decision-making process for tenders and the subsequent awarding of contracts turn opaque without warning, especially when their interests compete with those of well-connected local firms.”
Urging more help for administration and dispute resolution, the report lamented a difficulty of doing business. Out of 190 countries, TT ranked at 158 for registering property, 174 for enforcing contracts and 166 for payment of taxes, in a 2020 World Bank report.
While hailing TT’s judicial system as competent, fair and reliable, the report said the court system was very slow, requiring 1,340 days to resolve a contract claim, double the Latin American and Caribbean average.
The report reckoned the TT$ was overvalued by the Government.
“Shortages of foreign exchange, exacerbated by the Government’s maintenance of the local currency at values higher than those which the market would bear, cause considerable delays in conversion into world currencies.”
The report noted a pending withdrawal of US$1.1 billion from the US$5.9 billion Heritage and Stabilisation Fund to support covid19 measures.
“TT has laws to ensure protection of labour rights, consumers, and the environment.
“Enforcement, however, is lacking due to staffing shortages, capacity issues, and a bureaucratic judiciary.”
The report said corruption amongst public officials can be addressed by the Integrity in Public Life Act, Freedom of Information Act, Police Complaints Authority Act and Prevention of Corruption Act, but lamented their “infrequent application” and “lack of thorough enforcement.”
“The laws do not extend to family members of officials or to political parties. TT does not have laws or regulations to counter conflicts of interest in awarding contracts or government procurement.”
However the report said the Government has helped develop non-binding corporate governance standards to encourage private companies to establish internal codes of conduct to prohibit bribery of public officials.
“There are no protections for NGOs involved in investigating corruption,” said the report, “but investigations are not feared since corrupt actors are rarely punished.”
The report concluded, “US firms often say corruption is an obstacle to FDI (foreign direct investment), particularly in government procurement, since TT’s procurement processes are not transparent.”
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sound like the US to me!
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The report concluded, “US firms often say corruption is an obstacle to FDI (foreign direct investment), particularly in government procurement, since TT’s procurement processes are not transparent.”
When a certain party was in power the process was evident to all they cronies - construction companies etc
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Cops shut down alleged pyramid scheme
By Sharlene Rampersad (Guardian).
—With reporting by Mark Bassant.
A multi-million dollar pyramid scheme was dismantled yesterday by police in La Horquetta and nine people, including a soldier, were arrested.
Guardian Media understands that the group - the Drugs Sou Sou (DSS) - was set to pay out multiple members yesterday when the Special Operations Response Team of the TTPS was dispatched to control the crowd.
Police Commissioner Gary Griffith said the people gathered were in breach of the Public Health Ordinance.
When the officers arrived at the house on Kathleen Warner Drive, Phase One La Horquetta, with the mobile detention bus in tow, those who were gathered scattered.
SORT, led by Sgt Mark Hernandez, then executed a search warrant on the property.
Senior investigators told Guardian Media that sums of money were found hidden in the apartment’s ceiling and in a water tank outside. They also recovered large sums of new 100-dollar bills and $20 notes stacked in bales and secured with rubber bands in cardboard boxes and garbage bags. They also found what appeared to be hundreds of receipts for people who possibly contributed money to the pyramid scheme.
Up to late last night, officers of the Finance Intelligence Branch (FIB) were counting the money with the assistance of machines to ascertain the sum seized.
The counting of the money took place at the La Horquetta Police Station after the money was transported to the station under heavy police guard.
Up to press time police had counted $6 million and expected the process to go until midnight.
In a TTPS release, CoP Griffith said “when the police find that amount of money, it will be seized as evidence.”
He warned the public that when the police receive a tip-off they will find the location and seize the money.
“That would mean people would lose their hard-earned money invested in these schemes,” he said.
A Guardian Media team visited the area and saw several groups of people watching from a distance as the police carried out their operation.
Several young men from the area, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told Guardian Media that since DSS began its sou sou operations about two months ago, their lifestyles had improved.
“People helping themselves, buying vehicles, paying off their loans, we are living good now in La Horquetta,” one of them said.
Another said since the sou sou began, Phase One was now called “Little Dubai.” He claimed the young men in the community had turned away from illegal activities and had put their focus on the sou sou.
“People coming in here like nothing with real money and they safe, they good, nobody not interfering with them. Everybody looking out for each other and the warring between Phase One and Phase Two has calmed down. Why the police must disrupt all of that?” he asked.
At 7 pm, Guardian Media was told that about 200 people, all members of the DSS group, walked to the La Horquetta Police Station where the nine people and the money were taken.
The group chanted “Great is DSS” as they walked in a candle light vigil-type procession.
In a brief interview after the group got to the station, one man described the police action as victimisation. He said the action was a means of keeping poor people oppressed.
“This is the second time they have come at this guy…he is empowering the poor and black people, once they shut this down there will be a great fallout in La Horquetta. The Commissioner knows they have to give back this money, I think it is even beyond him that these instructions coming from right now,” the man, who also did not want to be identified, said.
Adding he had invested $50,000 in the DSS, the man added, “That is my legitimate funds and in this day and age, I am going to fight tooth and nail to get back my money. How is it their problem with what I decide to do with my money? That is mine!”
He said the head of the group came out of the police station around 6.30 pm and informed those gathered that his attorneys were at the station and had accounted for all the money.
(https://www.guardian.co.tt/image-3.2820622.119186.20200923034314.5c13c40354?size=1024)
Police officers go through a document at a home in Kathleen Warner Drive, Phase 1, La Horquetta during the police execution of a search warrant on the property yesterday.
(https://www.guardian.co.tt/image-3.2821426.119186.20200923034314.3cc86d9b11?size=1024)
(https://www.guardian.co.tt/image-3.2821425.119186.20200923034314.f21f317f25?size=1024)
(https://www.guardian.co.tt/image-3.2821423.119186.20200923034314.1c04a7b065?size=1024)
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Cops seize cash, detain 10 in alleged pyramid scheme
By Mark Bassant (Guardian).
At least ten people, including personnel from the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force, have been detained and millions of dollars recovered from what police say is an illegal pyramid scheme based in La Horquetta.
Investigators told Guardian Media that the exercise, co-ordinated by Commissioner of Police Gary Griffith, ACP for Crime Jayson Forde and Sen Supt Ramkhelawan along with officers from the Special Operations Response Team(SORT) under Sgt Mark Hernandez, went to the La Horquetta apartment shortly after 10 am Tuesday.
Officers acting on information executed a warrant at the apartment located at 516 Kathleen Warner Drive.
During their search, police sources told Guardian Media that they found huge sums of money hidden in the ceiling of the apartment, as well as a nearby water tank and other areas.
"It’s a lot of money and looks like millions. The money was everywhere," one source disclosed.
Investigators also apprehended at least ten people, some of whom are serving members of the T&T Defence Force. The officers believe the cash may be related to money laundering activities by key persons held during the raid.
Up to a short while ago the area was still cordoned off and several lawyers had also arrived on the scene, sources said.
The father of one of the people detained said he has been on the scene since his daughter was detained but up until 1 pm he had not been told why his daughter was arrested.
Guardian Media understands that the main suspect is alleged to be running the biggest "sou sou" group in the country. To join, members must allegedly pay in $10,000 to receive $56,000 in return.
A new group was started on Saturday morning and Guardian Media understands there are almost 8,000 members.
Only recently, Guardian Media had run a series of stories about the dangers of the pyramid scheme.
Several regulatory authorities, including the Intelligence Unit (FIU), Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago (CBTT) and the Financial System Regulatory Authorities had jointly issued an advisory urging members of the public about jointing "pyramid schemes."
In recent months, members of the public have been encouraged to join these schemes via the social media platform of Whatsapp or by face to face contact with an individual. These schemes, authorities warned, falsely take the shape of new investments or even "sou sou" arrangements in other cases.
This is a developing story which will be updated as more information becomes available.
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CoP launches investigation into return of $22 million cash
T&T Guardian Reports.
Commissioner of Police, Gary Griffith, has launched an investigation into the return of $22 million in cash. The money was seized by officers of the Special Operations Response Team (SORT) who executed a search warrant at a house where it was alleged that persons were operating a Pyramid Scheme.
Griffith stated that the money was handed back to the operator of the scheme without his knowledge. He found it very suspicious that the money was returned without the input of the Financial Intelligence Bureau.
The following is a press release from the TTPS:
Commissioner of Police, Gary Griffith, has launched a widespread investigation at the highest level to determine who decided to return more than $22 million in cash which was seized from a house at Kathleen Warner Drive, Phase I, La Horquetta, yesterday, September 22nd.
The money was seized by officers of the Special Operations Response Team (SORT) who executed a search warrant at a house where it was alleged that persons were operating a Pyramid Scheme.
The money was kept at a police station. Commissioner Griffith said preliminary investigations show that the money was handed back to the operator of the Scheme this morning without his knowledge and those of his Deputy Commissioners.
The CoP finds it very suspicious that $22 million in cash was seized and within hours, that money was checked and a decision made to give it back without the input of the Financial Intelligence Bureau (FIB) of the TTPS.
Investigators completed the count of the money at 12.30 am today. He said the investigation would determine if any criminal or disciplinary action is to be taken against any police officers.
Commissioner Griffith said the money was handed back without a proper investigation to determine whether any of it was counterfeit. He said no proper investigation was done as to the source of these funds, or whether the person or persons involved had committed any criminal acts.
As part of this investigation, the CoP said external forensic personnel will be brought in to determine if any of the money was counterfeit. CoP Griffith said he is aware that there is a concern that a number of persons invested their hard-earned money, hoping to cash in on this alleged Pyramid Scheme.
He gave the assurance that once these persons can prove that their money was legitimate, the TTPS will ensure that their money is returned to them in the shortest possible time. Diligent inquiries are being pursued at this time.
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Junior cops give DSS head seized $22m back
By Sharlene Rampersad (Guardian).
Police Commissioner Gary Griffith says police officers are involved in the multi-million dollar La Horquetta pyramid scheme called the Drugs Sou Sou and may even have facilitated the return of millions of dollars seized on Tuesday to the operators.
In a live interview in the CNC3 7 pm newscast last night, Griffith said he intends to fully investigate why officers at the La Horquetta Police Station allowed nine people who were arrested on Tuesday to leave the station in the early hours of yesterday with over $22 million in cash seized during the raid on Tuesday.
Griffith was caught unaware yesterday after the nine arrested suspects were released with the money. Speaking on a radio interview during the morning, Griffith had said the cash was still being counted. But hours later in a release, Griffith said the T&T Police Service would launch an investigation into who authorised the releases. He said neither himself, his Deputy Commissioners nor the TTPS’ Financial Intelligence Bureau were aware of the decision.
Asked how this could have happened on CNC3 last night, Griffith said, “There is very little to explain…we messed up, we cannot take $22 million in cash and return that hours later.”
Griffith said the money could not have been counted in such a short time, there was no receipt made out for the money to confirm the amount returned and the money was not checked for any counterfeit bills.
“This does not stop here, I intend to continue to pursue this matter,” he said.
Special Operations Response Team (SORT) officers stand guard outside the Drugs Sou Sou on Kathleen Warner Drive, La Horquetta after police returned to the area yesterday.
ABRAHAM DIAZ
He again warned that when DSS collapses, thousands of people will lose their money, as he said when one person pays in $10,000 and is paid out $50,000, five other people would have to lose their money.
“People are saying that I should leave this alone but wait for it, as the Minister of National Security said, when the mark buss in two months or so, tens of thousands of people who are at the bottom of the pyramid and would have lost their tens of thousands of dollars will come crying to the same Gary Griffith.”
He confirmed there are police officers involved in the scheme, adding the bigger issue was that officers were complicit in getting the money back to the DSS administrators while an investigation was ongoing.
“When you have $22 million in cash, the police must be able to ascertain that all the proceeds you got from this $22 million are legit - so you can’t just bring receipts and link the receipts, you have to look at the receipts. Suppose somebody had a receipt for $50,000 in cash to give to that individual, we need to find out how you got that $50,000 or $100,000 or $150,000. The police officers left no receipts, no copies, so it is their word to claim they saw the receipts and the receipts would have been equivalent to $22,157,000, it reeks of questionable activity.”
Griffith said the investigation is still ongoing but again made another appeal to the public not to get involved in pyramid schemes. He said with the involvement of police and other law enforcement officers, it had become difficult for him to deal with the matter.
He said he was trying his best to keep the country safe but some citizens are kicking against his activities.
“It seems like certain people do not want this country to be safe but they want me to reduce crime but it must not affect them, it cannot work that way.”
He said the money that was seized from DSS could have been used as a front for money laundering, human trafficking, drugs, purchasing weapons or from gangs siphoning cash.
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Pure flackery
Onwhose authority was this d vision made? Lock he arse up .
This money laundering is big time racketeering- you have Godfatners dons kingpins big fish call it what you may but underground banking shows a way inwhich to circumvent the tracking and legal tenure of currency.
Tell me why or how does 22million gets stored Ina local police station? Yuh joking?
Do we not have a central bank that could track serial numbers and vaults to act as proper storage? Could we not have proper security to ensure these proceeds are not privy to the hands of corrupt cops?
Mr. COP root then out fire them and keep working to eradicate the elements of corruption that permeates this land.
It's a shame that there are those who wear this uniform are thieves among the many who are fighting to uphold and maintain law and order Ina nation that has been so transformed.
We need stricter laws - like inDubai where a criminal was seemed outfor crimes against a minor - he was order to be shot in public housed on a crane for display-
This crap we are seeing today goes back to 90's had the insurrectionists who stormed the Red House , be caught shackled , lined up on Woodford square and shot at a firing squad we would not be seeing such wanton disrespect and a boldness by criminal elements.
You live by the gun - catch them with gun- line them up - nightly army raids block off communities and flush out the cockroaches - time to rid TnT of the fringing corruption plague
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I am having doubts about Gary!
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Army vehicle moved DSS $22M away from cops
By Mark Bassant, Lead Editor, Investigative Desk
When the $22 million was mysteriously returned to the CEO of DSS by police officers at the La Horquetta Police Station in the wee hours of last Wednesday morning, it triggered at least two parallel investigations to determine what exactly happened on that day.
And while police mull over the whereabouts of the money and the man behind the Drugs Sou Sou (DSS) scheme, army intelligence sources said that on the morning the money left the La Horquetta Police Station it was taken to a house in Talparo for safekeeping while other arrangements were being made.
Guardian Media was told that on Friday at approximately 9:15 pm, a Black Toyota Fortuner bearing a Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force (TTDF) number plate (registration number withheld) with at least two individuals loaded the money from the house and allegedly drove to a heavily fortified and guarded state location (name withheld) where the money is now being kept. This particular vehicle is frequently used by one of the DSS admins, who is also a member of the TTDF.
Investigators returned to the La Horquetta apartment on Wednesday afternoon with a search warrant in hand hoping to speak with the DSS CEO and presumably take possession of the money, Guardian Media was told. But four days later, the police cannot locate the Lance Corporal or find the millions once stored at the apartment.
So what exactly happened on the day of the seizure?
Senior investigators told Guardian Media that officers of the Special Response Operations Team (SORT) arrived at the apartment after obtaining information about several people gathering and breaching the Public Health Ordinance due to COVID-19.
The DSS CEO and owner of the property was not at the apartment when police arrived, but investigators said a phone call had been made to the owner of the apartment and he indicated that he would be returning shortly with his lawyer.
SORT officers were later confronted by a 47-year-old man who they later found out was a warrant officer with the TTDF. He explained to them that he was merely cleaning the yard in the absence of the owner. The man who was later searched was found with a pistol, usually only licenced to be used on a firing range, and 28 rounds of ammunition. One can legally carry up to 25 rounds of ammunition.
A SORT officer later searched a nearby knapsack which the TTDF soldier claimed contained a coverall. In the knapsack, police found huge stacks of $100 notes which amounted to $700,000. That quantity of money was later handed over to the Financial Investigations Branch (FIB).
At the apartment, police noticed the movement of people through a window, even when the owner of the property had indicated he was not at home. The people in the house were later detained but no one said who the money belonged to.
Senior police sources said that the police secured the premises and contact was made with officers of the Northern Division to get a search warrant.
Sometime after, an inspector and a police constable arrived on the scene and met with SORT officers. It was only later a woman who was detained as one of the suspects told police she was the common-law wife of the owner of the apartment, who police said never showed up.
Police later executed the warrant and during a search of the premises, they found millions of dollars hidden in the ceiling, the water tank, and in boxes in the apartment.
Hours later the money was prepared for transport by the joint team of officers on the scene from the Northern Division and SORT.
The money arrived at the La Horquetta Police Station at approximately 6:35 pm. However, the counting of the money did not start until 8:30 pm since police officers were awaiting the three money counters that would be later brought by officers of the FIB. An inspector attached to the FIB who visited the station later left. Two officers of the FIB together with four officers of the Northern Division and the lawyer representing the DSS CEO and his common-law wife were in the room during the counting of the money.
Sources familiar with the investigation told Guardian Media that close to midnight officers of the FIB left and they indicated they would return in the morning to secure the money for further investigation.
Police sources said investigations revealed that while the money was being counted, a senior officer and a constable from the Northern Division visited the DSS CEO at his La Horquetta premises where there was a conversation.
In the wee hours of Wednesday morning, according to investigators, an entry was made in the police diary in which the money was released to the DSS CEO who appeared at the police station for the first time.
Guardian Media understands that the officers' conduct and the conversation they allegedly had with the DSS CEO earlier at his apartment is now the subject of an investigation by the Professional Standards Bureau (PSB) of the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS).
Sources said that the officers could face disciplinary action and if found culpable could also face criminal charges of perverting the course of justice and misbehaviour in public office.
Senior investigators confirmed all relevant personnel will be interviewed about this matter.
Questions to TTDF:
Guardian Media called and sent WhatsApp messages to TTDF officials for a comment on the matter.
1. Good afternoon Sir, in reference to the officer from the TTDF who is also the DSS CEO, is the army considering any disciplinary action?
2. There are also allegations that a TTDF vehicle was used to transport the money after it was taken out the police station on Wednesday and moved to the house before a TTDF vehicle was loaded up with the money on Friday night and transported to a secure location. Please comment?
3. Considering the huge amounts of money and allegations of money laundering what is the TTDF's position?
4. Was the officer given permission to become a licenced money lender while serving as a Lance Corporal? Is this permissible in the eyes of the TTDF?
Up to late last night, there was no response from the TTDF.
1. Good afternoon Sir, in reference to the officer from the TTDF who is also the DSS CEO, is the army considering any disciplinary action?
2. There are also allegations that a TTDF vehicle was used to transport the money after it was taken out the police station on Wednesday and moved to the house before a TTDF vehicle was loaded up with the money on Friday night and transported to a secure location. Please comment?
3. Considering the huge amounts of money and allegations of money laundering what is the TTDF's position?
4. Was the officer given permission to become a licenced money lender while serving as a Lance Corporal? Is this permissible in the eyes of the TTDF?
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Rowley losing control of security of this country. If situation like this can happen, our in real shit street.
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DSS source claims $92M actually seized during raid
By Mark Bassant (Guardian).
Critical phone recordings between a high-ranking police officer and a Drugs Sou Sou (DSS) official discussing the actual amount of money seized and a deal to release some of the cash, after it was seized and hauled to the La Horquetta Police Station, are just some of the crucial information revealed to Guardian Media as the probe into the case continues.
A person close to the DSS operations yesterday claimed that the police actually seized close to $92 million from the La Horquetta apartment where they operated from and there are phone recordings to prove this.
The revelation came even as a video surfaced on social media of a member of the T&T Police Service led raiding team stuffing his uniform with money in one of the rooms during the operation.
Guardian Media had been reliably informed about the phone recordings and reached out to a DSS official with knowledge about the operations and raid. The DSS official confirmed the phone recordings and also said there was further video evidence to prove other wrongdoing by law enforcement personnel.
“When the police had done the count up to that night at the station, it was between $22 to $24 million. But there were two other cases of money unaccounted for and the actual amount of money that the police seized was near to $92 million,” the DSS source told Guardian Media on the condition of strict anonymity after questions had been sent for their response.
The official was asked if a certain police officer (name called) contacted someone at DSS.
“I will neither confirm nor deny the name of the officer, but there were at least two conversations with this police officer,” the DSS source claimed.
“The officer was told there was a large sum of money not recorded in the receipts and the person informed the police officer there was actually $92 million.”
Asked about the second phone conversation, the DSS source said, “In that phone call, some kind of arrangement was made where $74 million would be returned to DSS and the other $18 million would be kept.”
Sources told Guardian Media that the remaining money was to be split between law enforcement personnel involved in the DSS operation and others they co-opted into the act to retrieve the seized money.
Apart from two officers who had visited the DSS location during the count of the seized on Tuesday night, a phone call was also made by the high-ranking officer to ensure the money was released to the DSS handlers after the alleged deal was struck.
Sources told Guardian Media that there are several audio recordings and videos over a period of time allegedly proving wrongdoing.
“There was no verifying of the source of funds in this instance but it was released in the wee hours of Wednesday morning,” said a senior police investigator involved in the case.
Officers of the Financial Investigation Branch (FIB) were present when the initial count began at 8.30 pm on Tuesday but later left, leaving mainly Northern Division officers at the station.
Up to the time FIB and SORT officers left the La Horquetta station, the total counted thus far given by the Northern Division officers was $22 million and this was the information passed on to Police Commissioner Gary Griffith.
But a senior FIB investigator made it clear that they were not involved in the actual counting of the seized funds, noting they would only have been able to take possession of the cash after the count was finished and all necessary protocols were observed. The FIB had hoped to do that the following morning but the money was released before they could return to the station.
A legal source told Guardian Media that under the Proceeds of Crime Act, there was perhaps a case for the DSS to answer under the Securities Act since the company identified itself as an investment company but may not be registered under this act.
Another source added there were questions to answer on the culpability of alleged money laundering.
An army intelligence source also said yesterday that three days after community leader Cedric “Burkie” Burke died, some of his relatives and associates visited DSS in the hope of getting money he had poured into the scheme.
Sources claimed Burke had deposited $12 million and when his associates arrived at DSS they were told they would be given only some of the money. Burke’s associates wanted all the cash and so left and returned a few days later, only to be still told that DSS was unable to pay since Burke, who had died from COVID-19, never left any instructions to pay anyone out when he died.
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Is ah army man running this pyramid. He take 12 million from Burke(of all people). If all of this is true, the army man should be disbarred from the army. He is a security risk. Or unless he working undercover.
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I am having doubts about Gary!
Why?
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I am having doubts about Gary!
Why?
It appears that he is not in control!