No missing $10M: former HDC boss

There was never any missing $10 million from the Cleaver Heights Housing project in Arima, in Eastern Trinidad.

That admission has been made by the former managing director of the Housing Development Corporation (HDC) Noel Garcia.

In a document circulated Monday, Garcia said errors that may have resulted resulted in a $10 million discrepancy were likely due to constraints in resources and not to “any intention to provide improper financial benefits to any party involved”.

Prime Minister Patrick Manning had made it a point to hammer his former cabinet minister about it, demanding in Parliament that Keith Rowley explain the disappearance of the money.

This is not the first time that an official has clarified the matter and cleared Rowley.

Garica insisted in his statement that no impropriety took place at the HDC, "whose affairs have been brought under scrutiny because of allegations of a missing $10 million on the Cleaver Heights Housing project made by Prime Minister Patrick Manning.

“It is to be observed that in the thousands of contracts awarded while I was at the NHA/HDC, no allegations of impropriety arose of which I am aware,” Garcia said.

He noted that the NHA/HDC was subject to audits by the Auditor General, numerous appearances before the Joint Select Committee of Parliament and there was an Internal Audit Department that reported to the Board of Directors. Not of these investigations found any evidence of impropriety, he said.