UDeCOTT inquiry will continue without Khan

The Commission on Enquiry into the construction sector and the Urban Development Corporation of Trinidad and Tobago (UDeCOTT) will continue next month as scheduled, although it will be short of one commissioner.

Israel Khan quit this week after admitting that he had a "subconscious" bias against UDeCOTT executive chairman Calder Hart. Lawyers for UDeCOTT had threatened legal action to remove Khan if he did not resign.

Read the story: Khan quits UDeCOTT probe

A statement from the office of the Attorney General Friday made it clear that Khan's decision to leave was entirely his own. It said other commissioners "remain appreciative of the contribution that Mr Khan has made to the enquiry but understand the reasons which have led to his resignation and regret his departure before the commission has completed its enquiry.

“The remaining commissioners intend to continue and to complete the remaining hearing in accordance with their timetable namely September 7 to 12."

The commission now comprises chairman John Uff, Kenneth Sirju and Desmond Thornhill. Spokesman Wally Emmanuel-Cambridge said the relevant act allows the commission to continue, adding that evidence solicited from Khan would be handed over to Uff and the commission.

But Victor Hart, of Trinidad and Tobago Transparency International (TTTI), told local while the organization has not taken an official position on Khan’s issue, he had three concerns about the situation:

• The Piarco Airport inquiry had to be stopped when commissioner Peter Bynoe died because it did not have a quorum
• The Khan issue might also create an opportunity for people adversely affected by the commission’s findings to challenge this in court
• The Government might use Khan’s issue as a reason for not publishing the Uff commission’s findings

Hart said that although the PNM Government had promised in 2003 to publicise the Piarco inquiry report when it was sanitised, this was never done. He also noted that the report on the collapse of the Caroni river bridge was never published.