Jearlean to chair new UDeCOTT board

Planning Minister Mary King has confirmed that former UNC cabinet minister Jearlean John will chair the new board of UDeCOTT. However, unlike her predecessor, Calder Hart, she will not have executive powers.

Hart resigned and left the country in March 2010 under a cloud of controversy regarding the award of more than $800 million in contracts to a company in which his family allegedly had interests. He is currently under investigation.

King confirmed to the Trinidad Express that Zabal Mohammed Baksh will be deputy chairman. Other directors, she said, are architect Brian Lewis, Charles Balkaran, Dr Victoria Phillips-Jerome, Glen Parmesar, Shankar Bedasie, Eli Zakour and Damian Hares.

The board was appointed last Friday but members have not yet received their instruments of appointment.

King said one of board's first responsibilities will be to finalise contracts for major construction projects managed by the corporation, including the Brian Lara Cricket Academy, the Government Campus and the Chancery Lane project.

The Manning PNM government established UDeCOTT in 1994. The corporation managed dozens of projects worth more than $4 billion. Financial records show UDeCOTT made a profit of $19 million profit in 2006.