Attorney General John Jeremie told reporters Wednesday that the Government of Trinidad and Tobago ordered a criminal investigation of former UDeCOTT executive chairman, Calder Hart, last September.Jeremie said his office took the action after UDeCOTT tried to block the Uff Enquiry into UDeCOTT and the construction sector. Canadian forensic investigator Robert Lindquist is conducting the probe.
Speaking at a media conference in Port of Spain, the AG said when UDeCOTT took court action his office moved immediately to "initiate criminal proceedings which cannot be stopped".
Jeremie explained that other officials did not speak about the investigation because the general principle is that "you do not publicise a criminal investigation. I certainly knew and the prime minister also knew." He said if Hart had not resigned, he would not have spoken about the matter.
The Trinidad Express said its sources say Lindquist's terms of reference includes a mandate to investigate if there was bid-rigging, manipulation of the tendering process and kickbacks to public officials in the award of contracts for two specific projects-the Ministry of Legal Affairs Towers and the Brian Lara Cricket Academy.
Jeremie described the investigation is "vast in scope" and track of financial transactions, Jeremie said.
However he said the probe will not extend to allegations of a family link between Hart and directors of a company that won UDeCOTT contracts, including one to build government's Legal Affairs Tower
With regard to those allegations, Jeremie said he has spoken with both the DPP and police chief "and advised them of the need to pursue certain urgent lines of enquiry".
The AG said he is in the process of "authenticating those documents" which were made public by the Congress of The People (COP). "
Jeremie also spoke about a discussion he had with Prime Minister Patrick Manning last Friday. "I gave certain advice to the prime minister on Friday and the resignation of Mr Hart was announced on Saturday."
He added, "I don’t know what took place between the advice I gave to the prime minister on Friday, but Mr Hart’s resignation followed on the heels of that advice."
Jeremie also told reporters UDeCOTT would not challenge last Friday’s High Court ruling, which dismissed a UDeCOTT lawsuit that sought to strike down the report of the Commission of Enquiry.
UDeCOTT argued that there was apparent bias on the part of the commissioners against Hart and UDeCOTT, but the judge disagreed, clearing the way for the report to be submitted to President Richards.
Chairman John Uff plans to deliver his report before April 5.
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