Don't let Calder Hart leave: Warner

The Chairman of the United National Congress (UNC) is demanding that the authorities in Trinidad and Tobago prevent Calder Hart from leaving the country unless he is cleared by a genuine investigation of his "scandalous" spending of billions of public funds as recommended by the Uff commission.

Hart returned home over the weekend accompanied by former UDeCOTT deputy chairman Krishna Bahadoorsingh.

In a media release, Jack Warner said, "The PNM’s announced plan to spend upwards of $150 Million in that party’s bid for re-election is seen by many as a continuation of the “easy-come, easy-go” five-year scandalous spending spree of public funds by the Calder Hart/Patrick Manning unholy alliance."

He said should Manning put Calder Hart "on show "at the PNM 's political rally Monday that would add to the "public outrage at this duo’s well documented and scandalous mishandling of billions of dollars of public funds could easily be transformed into uncontrollable public rage."

Warner noted that the Manning regime fell after "Patrick Manning’s ultimate billion dollar vanities of the Summit of the Americas and the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting; and four months into water rationing in this lopsidedly wealthy nation."

He added, "Both the architectural mutant that is meant to be the National Academy of Performing Arts and the empty steel and glass towers on Edward Street, Richmond Street and Wrightson Road are monuments to the cockeyed vision of would-be Pharaoh, Patrick Manning and his Siamese twin in squandermania, Calder Hart.

"Mr. Manning should not continue to prostitute the Constitution of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago by dissolving Parliament and ruling by executive decree without fixing the date for the General Election," he said.

Warner called Manning's failure to set an election date and "excessive provocation of a population that is waiting for the Day of Deliverance".