COP to hand UNC leader report on UDeCOTT

The leader of the Congress of the People (COP), Winston Dookeran, and his deputy, Prakash Ramadhar will meet on Friday with Dookeran's United National Congress (UNC) counterpart, Kamla Persad-Bissessar and UNC Chairman Jack Warner at the office of the leader of the opposition in Port of Spain.

The COP leaders will hand over to Persad-Bissessar documents pertaining to COP's investigation into the Urban Development Company Limited of Trinidad and Tobago (UDeCOTT).

The COP probe makes a direct family link between UDeCOTT executive chairman, Calder Hart, and directors of CH Development, which Hart hired to build the Ministry of Legal Affairs Tower.

The firm won the $360-million contract to build the Tower although documents from the registry of Malaysia showed that the men connected with CH had no experience in any type of construction work.

Hart has always denied a family connection, which was first raised at the Uff inquiry by Carl Khan, the ex-husband of Sherrine Hart, the wife of Hart. Previously, Tabaquite MP Ramesh L. Maharaj had made the family link between Hart and the CH directors.

Read the story: Harts had family connection to CH Development: Report
Related story: Mrs Hart's family link to CH/Sunway

COP is demanding a police investigation into Hart and CH Development. And Dookeran has written President Max Richards urging him to appoint a new integrity commission as soon as possible.

Last year Richards appointed a five-member commission but all members resigned within a week due to several controversies surrounding the appointments. The president has not yet replaced the commissioners.