Ibis school described as 'scandalous'

Newsday By F Joseph

Attorney General Glenda Morean admitted yesterday that she is swamped with reports of allegations of corruption during the administration of the United National Congress (UNC) Government.

Morean has described the Ibis High School affair as "scandalous". Now, she said another inquiry will have to be done on the Biche High School.

"My hands are so full with so many of these matters that I haven't gotten around to that as yet," the Attorney General said during an interview at Cabildo Chambers.

Morean said she has asked for a report on the $12 million loan taken out by the Chaguaramas Development Authority (CDA) for the Miss Universe Pageant 1999.

She has the auditor's report into MTS, but pointed out that Minister of Trade Kenneth Valley was dealing with that matter.

The AG added, "I don't think that is how that company (MTS) was intended to function. It has great scope for improper practices being adopted.

"We got the auditor's report into MTS but the relevant minister is doing something. He has to go into it to see how this company was being administered to see where things went wrong."

Morean said before these matters appear in the media, "they appear on my desk. A lot of people are concerned at what things have been going on. They would come and give and say things. Very often things which are being made public now, are things that have been festering."

With respect to the construction of schools, Morean said the Ibis High School situation was scandalous. "When I was in the Senate last year, we did have some discussion on that. Looking on from the outside, it seems curious for a building like that to cost so much money, $36 million, and then it is unsuitable. You spend $36 million on a shed and then you have to move it."

Morean said the school in Biche has not been used and will not be used. "These are things being complained about for sometime. We have been hearing about all these costs overruns with these schools."

Morean said these inquiries, which were very costly, were stretching the Government. "These investigations are very costly, you have to have the forensic skills being applied.

"Even with the airport, it is not easy because people are not leaving tracks for you to just walk through. You have to find the information and, very painfully too.

"Now, you have somebody trying to stop the investigation, which we expected anyway...it is just that it took a little while," Morean declared.