Manning asks Rowley about missing $10 million

Patrick Manning took off the gloves in the House of Representatives Tuesday night and tried for a knockout punch against his former deputy, Keith Rowley, demanding to know what happened to a missing $10 million from a housing project while Rowley was the housing minister.

In the process it amounted to self criticism, since Rowley was a member of Manning’s cabinet.

Manning was speaking in the budget debate but he digressed into a tirade against Rowley who had slammed him the day before.

The prime minister set his focus on the Cleaver Heights Housing Development in Arima, a joint project between NH International and the state-owned Housing Development Corporation (HDC). He asked Rowley to account for the disappearance of or discrepancy of $10 million.

Manning explained that Cleaver Heights was budgeted at $133.45 million: $92.6 million for houses and $40.8 million for infrastructure and utility works.

But he said a letter dated May 3, 2003 to John Arthur Connon, managing director, NH International Caribbean Ltd was in the amount of $143.4 million, ten million above the budget figure.

"Even if something was done in error...I have been given no proper explanation for this $10 million," he said.

Manning continued, “And since the Cabinet took a decision on this project on the basis of a submission from the Minister of Housing, who at the time was the member for Diego Martin West, I have a question to ask the Member for Diego Martin West since I could get the answer nowhere else, where the money gone? It gone…”.

When Rowley questioned whether Manning was suggesting that Rowley did something improper Manning responded that he was not imputing any improper motive to anybody.

"I am saying that he was the minister concerned and the Cabinet took a decision at a cost of $143.449 million,” he repeated, adding, “…if I can't find an answer anywhere else then perhaps the minister of housing at the time is in a position to assist me.”

Manning asked again, “Where it gone?"

The verbal brawl between the two PNM jefes who sat in cabinet and presided over the contentious development and up to now had kept the missing $10 million under wraps continued with Rowley trying to clear his name.

"Is the Prime Minister implying that I as Minister of Housing had something to do with the award of that contract and therefore I am responsible for the sums involved in that contract?" Rowley asked. Again,

Manning was batting in his crease and explained that he was not blaming anyone. However he stated that there was a letter that was signed by Rowley.

Then he told the House he was not pursuing the matter but change the subject and went into the Landate affair.

Manning said he had "lingering doubts" about Landate, the Tobago project involving the Rowley family. Manning said he found it "very curious" that the contractor, Allan Warner, subcontracted to a company "many times the size of his firm" and one which was involved in a government contract for the Scarborough Hospital. (Rowley was cleared of any wrongdoing in the Landate matter).

While Manning kept insisting that he was not trying to tarnish anybody’s reputation, he went further in his attack on Rowley suggesting that the former minister had become the "mouthpiece of a certain contractor".

Manning also defended his meetings with the controversial Malaysian firm, Sunway, saying there were no "sweetheart arrangements".

And he defended his refusal to answer allegations against UDeCOTT, saying lawyers for UDeCOTT had advised that the state company wait until the Commission of Enquiry to respond.

The prime minister also had a warning for Rowley, who lambasted Manning for going to a PNM rally in Woodford Square on Sept. 12 and telling supporters, “If I fall, all fall.” It was the day Parliament was debating a co confidence motion in Manning and the PNM troops had converged on the square to show support for the leader.

Rowley had said Manning's approach was not the PNM way.

He defended his position, saying once a motion of no-confidence in the Prime Minister was successful, the Government fell and it had nothing to do with megalomaniac.

And he warned Rowley about pushing his luck, reminding him of the fate of Karl Hudson-Phillips, the PNM Attorney General who challened Eric Williams.

Rowley: "It's wickedness"

Rowley met with reporters after the debate and dismissed Manning’s assertions of wrongdoing.

"The first time I heard anything about this project and its cost and its whatever, some $10 million not being accounted for. The first time I have heard about that is tonight from the mouth of the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago,” he said.

"I would dismiss that as an act of desperation on the part of the Prime Minister seeking to tarnish my name so as to get even or to create suspicion over my character," Rowley said.

"What I am dealing with here is wickedness in high places,” he said.