UDeCOTT director quits over conflict issue

Urban Development Corporation of Trinidad and Tobago Ltd (UDeCOTT) chair Jearlean John confirmed on Sunday that one of the directors of the state company has resigned. Brian Lewis tendered his resignation last Thursday.

Board members had complained that his company ACLA:Works Architecture and Interior Design made a bid for a multi-million-dollar contract and he didn't declare his interest until after the process was closed.

Lewis is a director of ACLA:Works, a company that submitted bids for the outfitting of Tower D on the Waterfront, Port of Spain. The Parliament is to be located there until restoration work on the Red House is completed.

ACLA:Works did not win any of the three packages for the project.

A report in the Express newspaper said Lewis stated in his resignation letter that his firm would expect to considered for future construction projects.

John told the Express Lewis did the right thing. "As a director of a board, one has to strive to be above reproach...The board was being put in a position to deal with perception and was not willing to accept that. I was not willing to put the board in a position having to explain an activist director," the paper quoted John as saying.

It said John gave an assurance that the process for awarding contracts for the Tower D was not flawed. 

"It was an open tender, we opened the bids publicly. The process of evaluation can stand any scrutiny. No member of the board, including me, was a part of that process," she said.