Uff presents report to T&T president, won't reveal details

British Professor John Uff delivered his much anticipated report Monday to President Max Richards, which outlines details of the Commission of Inquiry into UDeCOTT and the construction sector.

And in a break from tradition, the commission chairman held a media briefing at which he said he would not reveal what's in the report.

Uff thanked his fellow commissioners and also praised the media for their "unflagging interest" in the matter.

In response to questions about whether the findings of the commission could lead to prosecution of any individuals, Uff said he would not comment on that.

"I have broken tradition and held a press conference. But what I would say is the evidence given before this Commission of Inquiry could be taken forward in another place," he told reporters.

He also spoke of distractions and challenges faced during the hearings. "Well we did face some challenges. UDeCOTT wanted to challenge the Commissioners in the Inquiry. It led me into a battle with UDeCOTT and I had to maintain my independence through it all," he said.

Uff said the report contains "a great deal of information concerning UDeCOTT...together with a battery of other state enterprises like the HDC."

He added, "We have investigated all of them but UDeCOTT has more attention in the report."

The commission chairman told reporters he is not aware of any investigation being conducted by the attorney general into UDeCOTT but added that "if there were, we were not compromised by any inside investigations."

He did not make any comment on whether the report should be made public. However, he stated that when a report of a commission of inquiry is completed in the United Kingdom the commission makes the report public. He observed that that is not the case in Trinidad and Tobago.

The convention is for the president to pass the report to the Prime Minister who has discretion in determining if it is to be laid in Parliament.

Opposition leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar has called on the prime minister to make the report public. She said much of the information in it would have already been in the public domain during the hearings.

She also wants speedy action on recommendations that might lead to criminal charges against person or persons who may be involved in wrongdoings.

One of the principal players in the drama - former UDeCOTT executive chairman Calder Hart - has been under investigation since September last year. He quit his post earlier this month and left the country.