Warner wants Manning to answer corruption charges

Jack Warner has said crime, corruption, and Patrick Manning’s failed leadership are the key issues in the May 24 general election, noting that the three are "interrelated and indivisible".

And the chairman of the United National Congress (UNC) has insisted that Manning "must come clean on the documented wholesale corruption in a number of special purpose state companies," including UDeCOTT.

On Friday in Barrackpore he spoke about another one - the Estate Management and Business Development Corporation (EMBDC) and its executive director, Uthara Rao, an Indian national.

Warner raised one specific issue and demanded an answer from the Manning government about it.

"Patrick Manning must explain why $230,000.00 could be paid from taxpayers’ money to free a non-national who abuses one of our daughters? Tell us Mr. Manning, how come?" he asked.

Warner was referring to a charge of sexual harassment brought against Rao by an employee of EMBDC. Media reports on the matter stated that the matter was settled out of court and that the company paid $230,000.

Warner also demanded an answer from Manning about why his government paid Rao two salaries as Chairman of EMBDC and CEO of EMBDC. He claimed that was a breach of the Ministry of Finance directive.

"How could one man hold the two top positions in a company and pay himself for both of these positions?" he asked.

He called it another failure of leadership. "Patrick, you cannot declare yourself pious, righteous, incorruptible and squeaky-clean and yet support corruption and wrongdoing in areas and spaces legitimized by you", he said.

The UNC Chairman added, "Neither you nor the PNM can be taken seriously if you refuse to explain allegations of corruption, which reached the Minister’s ear. You need to tell the nation whether an investigation was conducted, what the findings were with regard to Mr. Rao’s innocence or guilt and what measures were taken if he was guilty."

He said he has documented facts on the corruption involving "your appointee that was taking place at EMBDC. Mr. Manning, you cannot claim ignorance of what went on at EMBDC. Mr. Manning, tell the nation what you know about discrepancies in the accounts receivables at the EMBDC.

"Mr. Manning...your Party Chairman, Conrad Enill, boasted that it was the government “that took the decision on the basis of all that was taking place” with Rao at EMBDC.

He said the nation has a right to know all that was taking place "with your man Rao at the EMBDC, Mr. Prime Minister."

Warner referred to an article in the Saturday Express of December 20, 2008 headlined “Estate Management Controversy” in which the reporter, Ria Taitt, observed that "you removed Mr. Rao and the EMBDC from Christine Sahadeo’s portfolio just as you had removed Calder Hart from under Rowley."

He said Manning placed Rao under the protection of Conrad because Sahadeo “began to put Rao under manners.”

He also said Rao lied to the Public Accounts Enterprises Committee about the infrastructure he developed with $1.6 billion of taxpayers’ money.

"Several of the paved roads in the communities he was supposed to develop for Caroni workers are so small that only one vehicle can pass at a time. Sewer plants are only now being installed. Come down to Exchange 1 and 2 and see contractors hard at work.

"On some sites, the infrastructure for water is nothing more than a six foot PVC pipe stuck into the ground with no connection...What is sad is that, after such wastage, like the NAPA igloo, government still has to fork up more money to right the wrongs done by Rao," he said.

And he pledged that "nothing like this will ever be permitted" under Kamla Persad-Bissessar. "Checks and balances will be put in place to protect the country against people like Calder Hart and Uthara Rao, and to make sure that as citizens, we get value for our money," he declared.

Warner also accused the Manning government of failing to help former sugar workers and cane farmers.

He said since 2007 the government could have accessed the European Union Grant that would have benefited the cane farmers especially those in Princes Town South/Tableland and environs.

"Patrick, you could at least have looked after the interest of the people and ensured the distribution of that $80 million to the farmers and cane farmers," he said, adding that under Persad-Bissessar's leadership, "we will do what is necessary to access the European Grant."

He promised to distribute the plots of land as promised to former sugar workers. He lamented what he called the "failure of Patrick Manning’s leadership" which he said "has made this wealthy nation a failing state."