UDeCOTT inquiry has not collapsed: Chairman Uff

The chairman of the Commission of Enquiry into UDeCOTT and the construction sector told reporters in Port of Spain Monday morning that he is suspending hearings indefinitely.

However British Prof. John Uff said it is inaccurate to say the inquiry has collapsed. Uff said the problem is that the commission should have been gazetted and since that was not done the probe cannot continue.

He said the publication is "a formality that can be cured at any time". But he insisted that until the legal technicality is settled he cannot continue.

He also said the inquiry doesn't have jurisdiction to continue any investigation into the controversial Cleaver Heights housing project, which was undertaken while Dr Keith Rowley was housing minister.

"If and when action is taken to regularise the inquiry, it is suggested that publication in the gazette at that stage will not have restrospective effect and that a validating statute will be necessary,” Uff said.

Uff said the commission was planning to hear evidence this week about the Cleaver Heights project to inquire into reasons for defective and delayed work. However he said since the terms of reference for the commission, dated May 21, were not gazetted a fresh commission would have to deal with the Cleaver heights matter.

Prime Minister Patrick Manning has said that at least $10 million is missing and has called on Rowley to explain how that happened. But both Rowley and the contractor have produced documents to prove that no money was missing and that there was no wrongdoing.

A report from the government's housing development corporation also cleared Rowley, but the line minister was not pleased with the report, which she said contained discrepancies. She ordered a new investigation.

The UFF inquiry was scheduled to resume Monday morning in Port of Spain. Uff said he expects the first part of the report to be ready to be delivered to the President within four to six weeks, with the final part a month later.

He pointed out that the parties had spent a lot of money preparing for this inquiry and they expected a conclusion.

One of the men at the centre of the inquiry, UDeCOTT executive chairman, Calder Hart, is reported to have left Trinidad. Reports say Hart left with his family over the weekend.