Everything above board in PM's house construction: Official

The building applications for Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar's house in South Trinidad were submitted by her husband, Dr gregory Bissessar, and approved almost a decade ago.

The property falls within the jurisdiction of the Penal/Debe Regional Corporation, The chairman of the corporation, Premchand Sookoo, told the Trinidad Express on Monday the applications for the building were submitted and processed through the relevant channels and granted approval.

"The applications were passed by the Town and Country Planning Division, County Medical Officer of Health and other Local Government bodies," the paper quoted Sookoo as saying.

Sookoo said everything was done according to the law, noting that there is documentation to back up "everything that I am saying." He insisted, "The Prime Minister and her family did nothing wrong. The applications were submitted and approved."

Former prime minister Patrick Manning has demanded that Persad-Bissessar lay in Parliament the outline approval, final approval and approved building plans from Town and Country Planning, a copy of the certified deed of ownership of the property, as well as permission to build from the relevant local government authority.

Manning also wants the Prime Minister to show that relevant authorities properly inspected property before making utility connections.

She has already provided these details and has also refuted Manning's charge that the house will cost $150 million. 

However she has promised to lay the relevant documents in Parliament to prove that manning is wrong and used misinformation to deliberately create mischief and his attempt to mislead the House of Representatives.