Hinds now welcomes probe into his Maraval home

After evading questions about his house for days Opposition Senator Fitzgerald Hinds on Friday sent out a media release stating that he welcomes a probe by the police or the Integrity Commission into the value and acquisition of his Maraval home.

Hinds said he has authorised the bankers to cooperate with legitimate agencies and officers to open his records to scrutiny.

Attorney General Anand Ramlogan raised the issue of the home in the Senate earlier in the week, stating that the home is worth $14 million.

Hinds said in the release, “I have authorised my bank, the First Citizens Bank, Park Street, Port-of-Spain, to make available, to any authorised police officer, from commissioner to the last-joined recruit; and/or any authorised official from the Integrity Commission, from chairman to clerk, all my bank details and records regarding the obtaining, payment and balance of my mortgage facility.”

He added, "I bought the land on which my house sits as an Opposition MP. The construction of the building straddled my time in government and being out of Parliament and politics altogether, between 2004 and 2010. I am still developing my house."

He also state that contrary to what the AG claimed, the house does not have a swimming pool.  And he added, "I call on the Attorney General to set the public record straight and retain the services of a valuator, in order to obtain a real value of my house, if indeed he is really so interested. This would correct the ‘value’ he foolishly put on it whilst on his legs on the floor of the Parliament."