Two things are clear. Political Leader of the ruling People’s National Movement (PNM), Prime Minister Patrick Manning, must step down and the Opposition United National Congress (UNC) and the Congress of the People (COP) are still light years away from any meaningful approach to political unity. Continue reading Manning should step down→
UDeCOTT board firedUdecott board fired
The Government is giving itself two weeks to reconstitute the board of directors of State-owned Urban Development Corporation of T&T (Udecott). Well-placed sources made this revelation last night, after the Government sacked the four remaining members of the old Calder Hart-led board.
AG to UDeCOTT board: You’re fired
In a statement to the Senate yesterday, Attorney General John Jeremie announced that there would be a ‘reconstituted’ UDeCOTT board-save for its recently appointed chairman Jearlean John- and thanked the outgoing members for their services. Continue reading UDeCOTT board fired→
UFF: Public purse was at risk
The UDeCoTT board was guilty of a “dereliction of duty” and “knowingly exposed the public purse to a grave risk” by failing to question the award of a $368 million contract to CH Development/Sunway Construction (Caribbean) Limited for the Ministry of Legal Affairs Tower…
Is it not a contradiction that while establishing the rule-unto-themselves private state companies with precious little accountability and transparency in their operating culture to take over the delivery of services from public service entities, we the taxpayers are today inundated with all the sordid details of nepotism, corruption and exorbitant billion dollar and non-accountable disbursement of the public purse by UDECOTT? Continue reading Whirlwind of the Politicisation of the Public Service→
WORKS and Transport Minister Colm Imbert, who yesterday denied being interviewed by the Anti-Corruption Investigations Bureau (ACIB) in relation to Udecott, was in fact also interviewed by the ACIB in relation to an alleged land deal between Prime Minister Patrick Manning and Jamaat leader Yasin Abu Bakr which was disclosed in an affidavit sworn by Bakr in 2006. Continue reading PM and Bakr Land Deal→
LEFT: Finance Minister Karen Nunez-Tesheira, Attorney General John Jeremie, Prime Minister Patrick Manning and Works Minister Colm Imbert in parliament on March 12, 2010Hart 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→
Former executive chairman of Udecott, Calder HartCOP BETTER THAN CoP
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.
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→
Heavily-armed gunmen stormed a house in Gonzales, early yesterday morning and executed four family members, as they lay sleeping. Among them were three siblings.