Cops move to find Rev Juliana Pena
By NALINEE SEELAL Tuesday, June 8 2010
Anti-corruption investigators are to seek the assistance of Interpol to locate Reverend Juliana Pena, the spiritual adviser of former Prime Minister Patrick Manning, as they begin an investigation into the construction of a multi-million dollar church at the Heights of Guanapo.
Pena, investigators said, lives in the United States, and has only been to the church site once since the start of its construction by Chinese contractor Shanghai Construction Group (SCG) which also built the estimated $250 million Prime Minister’s Residence and Diplomatic Centre under the Manning administration.
Investigators said yesterday that despite attempts to contact Pena about the project they have been unsuccessful in locating her. She previously had addresses listed in Arima, where relatives now live. Investigators added that Interpol in the United States will be asked to help them locate Pena, so she can be interviewed.
Manning, who has denied any use of State funds in the church, as well as any personal involvement, may also be interviewed by the police. The police also want to question former Udecott executive chairman Calder Hart, who reportedly helped Pena to contact SCG and arranged for her to meet architect Stephen Mendes who gave advice on the church designs.
Mendes this weekend disclosed he met Manning about the church, which was reflected in correspondence he sent to Hart where he referred to Manning as “PM”. Manning, before his defeat in the May 24 General Election, said PM may have stood for “project manager” and not prime minister.
In a faxed statement to the media, Manning again denied any role in the church project.
Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Roger Gaspard yesterday confirmed he advised the police to begin an investigation of the construction of the Light House of the Lord Jesus Christ Church at the Heights of Guanapo, and is expected to meet with Acting Police Commissioner James Philbert for an update into the probe later this week.
Gaspard told Newsday, “Yes I did get the documents pertaining to the church and wrote the Commissioner giving him certain advice.”
Philbert, who is set to demit office next Monday, said he has instructed officers of the Anti-Corruption Investigations Bureau (ACIB) to launch a full probe into the construction of the church. Sources revealed yesterday that the police probe centres around misconduct in public office and an alleged misuse of public funds.
Apart from Pena, Manning and Hart, the police are also expected to interview officials of Town and Country Planning Division and SCG.
Hart is also a subject in a separate police investigation of the Legal Affairs Tower project, in which his wife’s relatives were awarded the contract.
On May 23, the day before the General Election, Chinese workmen who were hired by SCG to build the church fled the Guanapo site taking with them important documents which could have assisted the police in their investigations.
On May 15, the People’s Partnership held a press briefing and produced documents linking Hart and Manning to the controversial church. The documents revealed apparent links with Udecott.
It also made reference to the Prime Minister’s Residence and Diplomatic Centre in St Ann’s and raised questions over a possible direct connection between Manning and the project.
The documents also made reference to someone referred to as “the PM” and also showed that the Town and Country Planning Division granted final approval for the church on April 16 this year.
On Friday, architect Stephen Mendes in a sworn statement to a media house, confirmed the “PM” he wrote about in a letter dated May 2, 2006, and addressed to Hart, referred to Manning.
Mendes had stated that the structural drawings developed to date are not in accordance with the recent changes made to the architectural drawings as a result of “PM’s requests”, referring to Manning.
Additionally he noted in his letter that the consultants needed to develop and finalise their general arrangements drawings due to the recent changes called for by “the PM”, including those related to the residential component appended to the church.
In his correspondence, Mendes said Pena made an “impassioned plea” to him after he met her at Hart’s office where he went for a meeting on a separate matter. He agreed to give advise on the designs for free and subsequently appealed to Hart to inform Town and Country Planning Division that he was not the owner nor contractor for the church project, after the division sent him an application for the project asking him to provide additional information.
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