Rowley threatens to sue Manning; call for probe into missing $10M

The battle lines between Keith Rowley and Patrick Manning became more clearly defined Wednesday with the former cabinet minister challenging the prime minister to remove himself from the protection of Parliament and make accusations outside where no privilege applies.

And the Diego Martin West MP Dr Keith Rowley demanded that Manning “immediately” set up an independent inquiry to investigate alleged irregularities in a contract between the Housing Development Corporation (HDC) and NH International Caribbean Ltd (NHIC).

Manning spoke about that contract during the 2008-2009 budget debate on Tuesday night, calling on Rowley to account for what he said was a $10 million discrepancy in the cost of the contract for the Cleaver Heights Development project in Arima—a joint venture between HDC and NHIC.

Read the story: Manning asks Rowley, "Where the $10 million gone?"

Rowley told reporters Wednesday Manning should stop using parliamentary privilege to implicate him and suggest that he had some underhand dealings and should account for a missing $10 million.

“Since he claims to have documents to back up his scurrilous attempt to implicate me, this should not be too difficult to effect,” Rowley said. “I will exercise all my legal options to protect myself from slander.”

Rowley also challenged his former boss to produce the Cabinet note showing that Rowley had specifically sought and obtained Cabinet approval for the housing project.

“Finally, in light of the seriousness of this prime ministerial disclosure and commitment to an official enquiry into this matter, I demand that the PM set up such an independent enquiry, immediately, with a mandate to report in the shortest possible time,” Rowley said.

“This is absolutely essential, not just to clear my name but those of all the members of the Tenders Committee, the board and the management of the HDC against whom a grave slander has been perpetrated by no lesser person than the PM of the Republic, in Parliament, a place where innocent citizens are afforded no right of reply.”

The former PNM deputy leader also denied Manning's claim that he was attacking the prime minister to weaken the Government.

“I don’t have any agenda to target any leader," he said, "If the Government is going astray, it is only logical that one will direct concerns to the leader.”

He said he's not worried about protecting his political career, noting that he has an obligation as an elected representative of the people.

“Right now I have a duty to the constituency of Diego Martin West and to the country... It (political carrer) is not a relevant matter at this point,” he added.

He also said Manning was not being entirely honest about his dealing with the controversial Sunway corporation of Malaysia, which has received million-dollar contracts for infrastruture and construction projects in Trinidad and Tobago. He charged that Manning has not spoken about future deals and projects for Sunway.