Tabaquite MP Ramesh L. Maharaj said Saturday the Manning government is contaminated with official corruption that is a political cancer eating away the soul of Trinidad and Tobago.He said the corruption is impeding and obstructing development, undermining democracy and good governance. That culture of corruption is destroying the soul of the nation, he said.
Maharaj was speaking at meeting in central Trinidad sponsored by the Movement to stop the Rapid rail project.
Citing UDeCOTT, the former Attorney General said official corruption within that organization has eroded the government's capacity to follow tendering and procurement rules. This, he said, has led to massive cost overruns and a lack of accountability.
Maharaj charged that the government condones the official corruption at UDECOTT, thereby robbing population of monies which can be better used to provide citizens with basic services.
Maharaj warned politicians to focus on the fight against official and government corruption, saying it is too important "for us play political football" because it involves the values and beliefs of democracy.
"I have always believed that I have a duty at all times to stand up against the oppression of people," Maharaj said, adding that former Prime Minister Basdeo Panday fired him as the country's Attorney General, with the full consent of
"some of my colleagues who sit now in the Upper Front Bench of the Opposition".
He added, "One of them actually tried to have me imprisoned for hiring Bob Linquist to investigate allegations of official corruption. I am happy that they have seen the light."
Maharaj was the first politician to expose the family connection between ex-UDeCOTT executive chairman Calder Hart and directors of a company that won a lucrative UDeCOTT contract to build the government's legal affairs tower.
"The Prime Minister had all the essential information against Calder Hart since May 2008 when I disclosed to the Parliament the connection between Calder Hart and the directors and shareholders of CH Development Ltd.
"The Prime Minister ought to have caused to be conducted investigation in respect of that information. It would have taken a maximum of ten days for the government to confirm the accuracy of such information," Maharaj declared.
He added that any reasonable member of the public knowing the facts which have appeared in the public must come to the conclusion "that government is protecting UDECOTT and Calder Hart and members of the public may even perceive that kickbacks are possibly the reason."
Maharaj took issue with Manning's defence of Hart, stating that the prime minister is in effect saying that a public official can "openly commit irregularities, wrongdoings, plunder the Treasury, and compromise the public interest, but until the person is found guilty by a Commission of Enquiry or by the Court of Law, the Government cannot take steps to remove the person from office and that the person can only be removed from office if he/she voluntarily resigns from that office."
The Tabaquite MP said, "this attitude and conduct of the Prime Minister is not in keeping with the duty of a government in a situation like the present one. He did not asked for a finding of guilt for him to take action against former Chief Justice Sharma or former Ministers Franklyn Khan or Eric Williams."
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