Where the money gone? UNC executive wants answers

The new executive of the United National Congress (UNC) wants an account of the party's funds.

And reports say UNC leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar has asked General Secretary Glen Ramadharsingh to get the financial records from the manager of the Rienzi Complex, Pamela Ramsingh.

A report in the Sunday Newsday newspaper said its sources have revealed that $300,000 have been withdrawn from an account the UNC had in at the Point Lisas branch of Royal Bank.

The party wants Ramsingh to account for that as well as the membership fees paid by persons who had applied for membership in the party.

The UNC membership committee rejected more than 16,000 applications just before the January 24 internal election in which the Panday exectuive was voted out of office.

If each member paid the minimum $5 application fee, that would amount to $80,000. That money was never refunded to the applicants.

Newsday said during the party hired off duty police officers at polling stations to maintain law and order. The paper said the bill for that was $46,000 and that other expenses amounted to $55,000.

It said the party paid the police the $46,000 but it said its sources report that the police are claiming that the UNC still owes them money.

The two figures amount to $101,000 of the $300,000.