Category Archives: General T&T
Hart-aches by the numbers
By Raffique Shah
March 14, 2010
IF I were Prime Minister Patrick Manning, I would fire my ‘spiritual adviser’ forthwith. I would instead hire a futuristic, 2020 model ‘secular consultant’, someone like, say, Raffique Shah. Before the howling starts, with every Tom, Dick and Harrilal shouting, ‘Shah looking for PNM wuk!’ or ‘We always knew Shah was PNM!’, let me explain why I offer the PM this advice.
Continue reading Hart-aches by the numbers
Hart has case to answer

FOR THE first time, Prime Minister Patrick Manning yesterday admitted that former Udecott executive chairman Calder Hart has “a case to answer”, even as fresh questions emerged over the role Manning played in the circumstances surrounding Hart’s departure from Trinidad last Saturday in the midst of an ongoing criminal investigation.
PM: Hart not guilty
Minutes after saying former executive chairman of the Urban Development Corporation (Udecott) Calder Hart was not guilty of anything, Prime Minister Patrick Manning announced the appointment of Chief Executive Officer at the Housing Development Corporation, Jearlean John as the new chairman of Udecott, replacing Hart, who resigned last week.
Continue reading Hart has case to answer
Criminal probe of Udecott

SINCE LAST year, Acting Commissioner of Police James Philbert was asked by two successive Acting Directors of Public Prosecutions to investigate Prime Minister Patrick Manning, Finance Minister Karen Nunez-Tesheira and former Udecott executive chairman Calder Hart, yet to date Philbert’s probes into all of these matters have not been completed.
PM returns home quietly, flies out again today
Criminal probe launched in September—Jeremie
Some 24-hours after new Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Roger Gaspard ordered a police probe into allegations of wrongdoing by former executive chairman of the Urban Development Corporation of T&T (Udecott) Calder Hart, Attorney General John Jeremie said a criminal investigation into Hart began since last year.
Continue reading Criminal probe of Udecott
Dr Rowley alleges PM was aware of bid rigging
Flashback: October 21, 2009
Continue reading Dr Rowley alleges PM was aware of bid rigging
Hart’s flight
Newsday Editorial
March 08, 2010 – newsday.co.tt
Weren’t you surprised? That was the question put to Newsday by Acting Prime Minister and Acting Head of the Cabinet, Dr Lenny Saith on Saturday evening. He was referring to the flight earlier on Saturday by Calder Hart before he could answer the many questions about his role in Udecott.
Continue reading Hart’s flight
Governance by God…no less
By Raffique Shah
March 07, 2010
If Prime Minister Patrick Manning’s brimstone-and-fire like sermon in Parliament two Fridays ago was reflective of the normal behaviour of Born-Again-Whatever, then I thank the Lord (if She exists) for saving me from the darkness that envelops such tortured souls, for allowing me to see the light of rational thinking at a very early age in my life.
Continue reading Governance by God…no less
BREAKING NEWS: Calder Hart Resigns
![]()

HART RESIGNS
ALMOST two years after allegations of corruption were first made against him, Calder Hart yesterday resigned as the Udecott executive chairman and as the chairman of four other state boards he had been appointed to under Prime Minister Patrick Manning’s administration.
Continue reading BREAKING NEWS: Calder Hart Resigns
Hart family ties to UDeCOTT contracts
WE WANT ANSWERS, MR. PRIME MINISTER
By Andre Bagoo
March 05, 2010
THE CONGRESS of the People (COP) yesterday called on Prime Minister Patrick Manning to immediately account for his failure to take action against Udecott executive chairman Calder Hart in light of fresh evidence linking Hart to a company his board awarded $820 million in contracts.
Continue reading Hart family ties to UDeCOTT contracts
Well a Woman is Almost There
So wha bout the politics now?
By Corey Gilkes
March 02, 2010
www.trinidadandtobagonews.com/blog
On the 24th January an interesting but not unexpected shift in the politics occurred when Kamla Persad-Bissessar was voted in as political leader of the United National Congress dethroning the charismatic veteran leader and founder of the party, Basdeo Panday. This paved the way for her being sworn in as Leader of the Opposition on the 25th February. Kamla’s victory is significant in more ways than one. For well over fifty years there have been women figuring in one way or another in the political world of Trinidad and Tobago. Significant strides have been made by such figures as Audrey Jeffers, Gertrude Kirton, Muriel Donawa-McDavidson and Jean Pierre, to name but a few and while in the past there have been women appointed by the Prime Minister to function in his capacity in his absence, never before have we seen a woman elected to lead a political party with the likelihood that she may also be elected as the country’s next Prime Minister.
Continue reading Well a Woman is Almost There