Hart won't challenge testimony of wife's ex-husband

Lawyers for the executive chairman of the Urban Development Corporation of Trinidad and Tobago (UDeCOTT) have advised the Uff commission of inquiry that they do not wish to cross-examine their client, Calder Hart, his wife, Sherrine and her former husband, Carl Khan.

This means that they are not challenging testimony from Khan that the directors and shareholders of CH Development are Hart's relatives. Khan made that disclosure at previous hearings of the commission.

He said CH was a three-week-old company that won a $368 million contract from UDeCOTT.

Inquiry chairman Prof. John Uff made the disclosure when the commission opened its final phase of the probe in Port of Spain Monday.

Khan's sworn testimony in May this year stated that Lee Hup Ming and Ng Chin Poh of CH Development were the brother and brother-in-law of Mrs Hart respectively.

"I know this as a fact from my marriage to Mrs Hart, during which time they resided in Malaysia and we had several conversations with them via Internet phone, where we would see and converse with them at the same time", Khan told the inquiry.

In an affidavit he gave the address of CH Development as #7, The Park Glencoe, which he said was the address of Chun Sing Kwok, whom he described as a friend of Mrs Hart during the marriage.

Khan had also testified that Hart's phone number was on the letterhead of CH development. The telephone company corroborated Khan's statement about the number but Hart told the commission he no idea how his number got there.

Diego Martin West MP Dr Keith Rowley told the Trinidad Express Monday that the decision not to challenge Khan has serious implications.

Rowley said what it means is that there is clear evidence that what Khan said is true and suggested that the Prime Minister should act immediately and fire Hart as executive chairman of UDeCOTT and as chairman of other State agencies.

He noted that Hart had admitted that while he invited CH Development to bid for the government contract he did not know the people.

"But the evidence now before the Commission is that these persons are members of his family and it triggers and warrants certain criminal investigations and runs afoul of the Integrity in Public Life Act", the paper quoted Rowley as saying.

He said CH received an additional contract of $300 million for the outfitting of the building making the total award to company $668 million. That, he said, was directed to the contractor "in contravention of the Integrity in Public Life and possibly the Prevention of Corruption Act".

He said there no longer any need for the Government to wait until the Commission of Enquiry has reported to act and insisted that the cabinet cannot continue to protect Hart.

Tabaquite MP Ramesh L. Maharaj was the first person to publicly raise the family connection to CH development in April 2008.

Maharaj told the Express Prime Minister Patrick Manning had said that he could not take action against Hart based on allegations.

He said now that the evidence is clear Manning must fire Hart because "in law where the evidence is not challenged either by cross-examination or by calling evidence to rebut it, it is deemed to be admitted. This is an admission and the Prime Minister must act immediately in the public interest."

Manning had dismissed Khan’s testimony, saying those calling for Hart's removal were basing their judgment on "the evidence of a jilted lover".

Manning stated further that Hart and his wife had "categorically denied any interest or involvement in CH Development and that any member of their family was involved in the award of the contract for the construction of the Ministry of Legal Affairs Towers".

He called allegations against the Harts "a blatant attempt to publicly tarnish the reputations of private individuals."