LABIDCO probe "ongoing" after six years

National Security Minister Martin Joseph told the Senate Tuesday investigations into the La Brea Industrial Development Company (LABIDCO) project that began six years ago are at an advanced state.

The 1991 Manning administration was involved in the project that was handled by the state-owned National Gas Company and Petrotrin, with 10 tenants on the industrial site at La Brea.

The project, which was headed by former Senator Imtiaz Hosein, was stopped when the UNC administration of Basdeo Panday took office and the government ordered a probe into LABIDCO.

In 2002, when the UNC was in opposition it submitted files to the then Director of Public Prosecution, Mark Mohammed, who ordered an investigation. The opposition claimed that $435 million had been wasted on the project and alleged widespread corruption involving several high profile people with close connections to the Manning administration.

The Fraud Squad seized files from LABIDCO and officers interviewed officials including Eric Williams, the Minister of Energy at the time, energy sub-committee member Dr Ken Julien and Claude Lee Young. Lee Young had been a member of the Hosein investigating team. He subsequently also served on the energy sub-committee.

The entire matter was hushed up under the matter administration that came into office in 2001. In May 2003, within months of the PNM winning a majority in the 2002 election, Director of Public prosecutions Geoffrey Henderson had said no priority had been given to a report on the LABIDCO project.

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In the Senate Tuesday, UNC Senator Wade Mark asked the Government when the investigation would be completed.

Joseph's response was that since investigations have not yet been concluded he did not consider it "prudent" to disclose any further details of the case.

Prime Minister Patrick Manning defended the project in 2004 and charged that it was the UNC administration that wasted taxpayers' money to the of $600 million by shutting down the project.

And Prakash Saith, the Chairman of National Gas, also denied there was any corruption in the energy project, noting that three separate investigations had turned up nothing.