Fire UDeCOTT line minister, UDeCOTT board: Kamla

Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar on Sunday called on Prime Minister Patrick Manning to immediately fire Emily Gaynor Dick Forde, the Minister with responsibility for both UDeCOTT and the Housing Development Corporation (HDC).

Persad Bissessar also wants Manning to fire the UDeCOTT board.

The leader of the United National Congress (UNC) was responding to the publication of the Uff report on the inquiry into UDeCOTT and the construction sector. Chairman of the commission, Prof. John uff, presented the report to President Richards on Monday and the attorney general has promised to lay it in the Senate on Tuesday.

But on Sunday, the NEWSDAY newspaper in Trinidad published the main points of the probe along with a list of 91 recommendations.

Read the story: Uff report recommends probe of Calder hart, UDeCOTT

The report recommends a police probe of former UDeCOTT executive chairman Calder Hart and the whole UDeCOTT board.

It also says there should be an investigation into the circumstances in which 9 hectares of lands owned by the National Union of Government and Federated Workers, which had been sold to the NUGFW at subsidised rates, was purchased by UDeCOTT, at a profit for NUGFW.

In a media release Persad-Bissessar pointed to the NUGFW matter, noting that she had said previously that it was a matter for the Integrity Commission. "It is now clear that the Uff Commission agrees with me," Persad-Bissessar said.

"The Members of the Board continue to shamelessly hold on to Office despite the incriminating evidence presented in the report. They must be fired now!" she demanded.

The Opposition Leader said the report "reveals a sordid tale of mismanagement, corruption, subterfuge and cover-ups. It is a most damning statement of Manning and his Government whose Ministers and Board of Directors should be investigated for malfeance in public office."

She added that it confirms that there is massive corruption in the way UDeCOTT was doing business and demanded that authorities immediately begin the recommended investigations.

"In addition Mr Calder Hart should be located and returned to Trinidad. Since the members of the Board of UDeCOTT have been put under scrutiny, they should not be allowed to leave Trinidad," Persad-Bissessar said.

She observed that based on the report it would seem that what is even more frightening is the fact that the Prime Minister kept praising Calder Hart and behaved as if nothing was wrong.

She said based on the findings of the report it is a important for the Integrity commission to investigate charges made by the opposition involving UDeCOTT board members Michael Annisette and Dr Krishna Bahadoorsingh.

In addition to calling for the line minister's dismissal along with the whole UDeCOTT board, the opposition leader is also calling for:

• The Attorney General to provide the human, physical and technical resources to the Police to immediately begin their investigations, since reports emanating from inside the Police Service indicate that they are being frustrated in their work
• The DPP to examine the evidence so far collected by the Police and lay charges
• The Attorney General to tell the nation what he knows about the whereabouts of Calder Hart
• The relevant authorities to seize the passports of persons who the Uff Commission says should be investigated
• A review of the companies and agencies now exempt from the Freedom of Information Act in order to create transparency and public accountability
• The publication the report in all of the newspapers so that all the citizens can read of the corruption perpetrated against them by the PNM Government