When Kamla Persad-Bissessar revealed documents suggesting that the reference to "PM" in correspondence relating to the controversial Guanapo church meant Prime Minister Patrick Manning, Manning quickly dismissed it and stated that "PM" meant Project Manager. Now the man who wrote the letter to then Executive Chairman of UDeCOTTT, Calder Hart, has confirmed to the Express newspaper that the "PM" reference in correspondence dated May 2, 2006, was to Manning.
The revelation by Architect Stephen Mendes comes three weeks after Persad-Bissessar - who was opposition leader at the time - told reporters that Manning was directly linked to the church being built on State lands for Manning’s personal spiritual adviser Rev Juliana Pena.
The letter by Mendes that Persad-Bissessar produced stated:
"The structural drawings developed to date are not in accordance with the recent changes made to the architectural drawings as a result of recent PM’s requests. Additionally, they need to be developed in far greater detail.
"Additionally, the consultants need to develop and finalise their general arrangement drawings due to the recent changes called for by the PM, including those related to the residential component appended to the church."
The Sunday Express has published a sworn, signed statement which it says was handed to the CCN group on Friday.
The document confirms what Persad-Bissessar said on March 15, 2010.
"The ’PM’ referred to in a letter I wrote, dated 2 May, 2006, which I addressed to the chairman of UDeCOTT, Calder Hart, was the then prime minister Patrick Manning," Mendes stated in the document.Manning has always denied any involvement in the church and even suggested that evengelical christians were facing discrimination.
Read the story: Manning defends his right to religious freedom
The day after the then opposition leader made the allegations he went on national television and stated that PM "may mean Project Manager".
He also stated that Hart was probably involved in the church in his ’personal capacity’, since UDeCOTT had always denied that it had any involvement in the project.
The Sunday Express stated that in the document to CCN, Mendes explained that he had not responded to public calls to clarify what PM meant because he was ill and also because his family had been shielding him from the media and work.The paper said Mendes’ confirmation also makes a close personal relationship between Manning and Hart, who is currently under a criminal investigation for his alleged financial misappropriation in various UDeCOTT projects.
Hart resigned from UDeCOTT and other state agencies in March and left the country immediately after he and Manning held a private meeting following the release of the Uff Commission report on UDeCOTT and the Construction Sector that recommended an investigation in Hart and UDeCOTT.
Mendes provided the Express with full details of the project, stating that it was commissioned in 2005 in the name of Manning’s official spiritual adviser, Rev Pena.
He confirmed the name of the Church as the Lighthouse of Our Lord Jesus Christ and that the Chinese firm, Shanghai Construction Ltd, was involved in building the church on over four hectares of State lands at the Heights of Guanapo, Arima, at a cost of $30m. The same company built the Prime Minister's official residence.
Mendes statement explained that since his first meeting with Rev Juliana Pena in 2005, he had not seen her or heard from her and that Hart "seemed to have taken up the role of representing her after that."
Mendes was clear on meeting with Manning. "I met the then prime minister Patrick Manning at Whitehall at Calder Hart’s request on two occasions, at which my design of the church was discussed."From my records, it appears that I ceased doing any design work on this project at least three years ago, neither have I communicated with the consulting engineers within the last two years, in respect of the design of this project.
"About this time, Calder Hart had agreed with me that the project should go the design/build route and effectively, I ceased doing any further work."
The Express also said Mendes confirmed that despite the letters for Town and Country Planning approvals going to him, he was neither the applicant nor owner of the project.
The paper also quoted him as saying that he had "no idea whatsoever of how this project was to be financed, nor who was responsible for it and how the design for the church found its way apparently on to drawings for the prime minister’s residence."
When Persad-Bissessar provided the evidence she made it clear that there was a direct connection to UDeCOTT.
She stated: "The construction drawings were prepared for UDeCOTT and for the use of Shanghai Construction Group! There should really be no surprise there since Shanghai Construction Group was brought into the country to construct buildings for UDeCOTT."
She said said the church project was listed on the drawings as "Outdoor stage project of Prime Minister’s House" and noted that Shanghai Construction did not build the stage at the residence and suggested that the "outdoor stage" was exactly the same as the building at the site of the church.
She said that amounted to "criminal conduct and the abuse of State funds and lands by the prime minister of this country for personal gain."
As oppositon leader, she sent her file to the Acting Commissioner of Police James Philbert and Director Of Public Prosecutions Roger Gaspard asking for a criminal probe. She also requested an Integrity Commission probe into the matter.
Read the story: Kamla connects Manning, Hart to Guanapo church, reports matter to Police, DPP and IC
Now as Prime Minister she is leaving the matter in the hands of the relevant investigating and prosecuting agencies. She told the CCN group she was always certain of the authenticity of the documents.
"I hope that Mr Mendes is willing to cooperate with the police in this matter since it is one of public interest for the citizens of this country. I’m also assured that the police will do their job in properly investigating and getting to the bottom of this worrying issue," she said.
Mendes told the Express, "I welcome any enquiry into the church and would be happy to cooperate in further clarifying what I can on this issue."
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