DARLING, I'M DEADLYBy Andre Bagoo Saturday, September 5 2009
A LOVE LETTER said to be penned by Mrs Sherrine Hart when she was courting her now ex- husband Carl Khan is among the fresh evidence filed this week in the Uff Commission of Inquiry linking the Hart family to a company which was awarded a $368 million contract by Udecott chairman Calder Hart.
In the letter, the future Mrs Hart describes herself as “beautiful in appearance, subtle in expression, deadly in action” and expressed a wish to have a “sexy” and “sensual” husband.
The letter, reportedly written in 1989, was part of a bundle of documents lodged on Wednesday with the inquiry’s secretariat by Khan on the eve of the fourth and final phase of hearings which is due to begin on Monday at 9 am at the Winsure Building, Port-of-Spain.
The handwritten love letter is attached as an exhibit to a statutory declaration in which Khan deposes fresh evidence of links between Mrs Sherrine Hart (also known as Sherrine Soh Wah Lee) and two Malaysians who served as directors of the company which was awarded the $368 million contract for the Ministry of Legal Affairs tower in Port-of-Spain by the Calder Hart-led board. A copy of the love letter and Khan’s statutory declaration have been obtained by Newsday.
Khan married Sherrine in December 1997 but the marriage was dissolved in May 2000. On May 18, 2009, in previous statutory declarations lodged with the inquiry, Khan deposed that Alan Lee Hup Ming was Mrs Hart’s brother and David Ng Chin Poh was her brother-in-law.
Both men were former directors of CH Development and Construction Limited, which later became Sunway Construction Caribbean Limited and was awarded the Ministry of Legal Affairs Tower contract by Udecott in 2005, even though it was not the lowest tenderer for the project.
In the new statutory declaration filed on Wednesday, Khan presents new evidence of apparent links between Mrs Hart and the two men. He says in 1989 he received a letter from Sherrine. The return address on the envelope that contained the letter, he says, was the same as the address of a DHL airway bill sent by Alan Lee Hup Ming to Sherrine almost a decade later in 1997 when Khan and Sherrine lived together at Calcutta Settlement Road, Freeport. The address was 3234 Serembam Gardens, Negri Sembilan, Malaysia.
In the letter, dated June 19, 1989, the author, whom Khan says is Sherrine, recalls a visit to Trinidad and Tobago, during which she spent time with Khan. The letter appears to have been written aboard a Malaysian Airlines (MAS) flight, on MAS paper with the header, “Inflight with MAS”.
“Dearest Carl, I’m in a MAS 747 on my way to Honalulu/Tokyo/K Lampur. This is the longest flight in my journey back to Malaysia,” the letter reads. “Looking back at my time in Trinidad, (it was) a little unbelievable and at times (I wondered) if I was dreaming! Everything seemed to happen so smoothly and fast, especially our relationship! Like you said, probably fast to me but certainly not to you.
“Darling, images (recalling) our intimate moments together make me smile and my face red. You were very persistent and I was daring. I will definitely miss you very dearly, not for sex, but your company. I never thought that we could be that compatible! We seem so perfect for each other, our thoughts, ambitions and desires.”
The letter continues, “I want to have a handsome husband, but most importantly I think I want to have a sensual and sexy one too, someone to enjoy life to the fullest with, to love and (be) together. Carl, do you know I can actually become possessive when I love?
“What am I? I’m (a) beautiful and ambitious woman with a lot of self confidence. Oh, not forgetting deadly too. Your own words–beautiful in appearance, subtle in expression, deadly in action–how very true.”
In the letter, which was placed in an envelope postmarked in Japan and received in Freeport, on June 27, 1989, the author also outlines a fear of swimming, a fear traced back to a childhood trauma.
“I’ve always loved swimming, even though I’m not a fantastic swimmer myself. Still haunted by the thoughts of my almost drowning experience during childhood.
“Carl, you truly know me by the back of your hand or are you looking at the reflection of your image from a mirror when you are with me?! I wonder! One thing for certain...I felt so comfortable with you, that you truly know me! We don’t have to pretend or put up a sham for each other.”
The love letter ends, “thank you for a wonderful trip to Tobago and the times we (were) together, this is definitely a very memorable and fruitful trip for me. Meanwhile, take care and see you again soon! So long!” It is signed, “Love always, Sherrine.”
The letter’s return address will deepen concerns over reports of apparent links between Mrs Hart, her husband and CH Development/Sunway.
In his statutory declaration, which has been distributed to all the parties to the inquiry but which has not been tested by cross-examination, Khan also deposes that Sherrine’s sister, Adeline Lee, owns a company called Elite Visage SDN BHD alongside her husband David Ng Chin Poh, the former CH Development/Sunway director.
He also deposes that the address for CH Development in Trinidad and Tobago, which is listed on correspondence as “No 7 The Park Glencoe, Port-of-Spain” is, in fact, the home address of a friend of Sherrine’s.
“I have come now to recognise that address to be that of Chun Sing Kwok, who was a friend of Mrs Hart during the time of our marriage. I had been to that address on at least two occasions. On one such occasion, which was in early 1999, Mrs Hart hosted a dinner party (there),” Khan deposes.
The fresh evidence comes amid reports the commissioners have drafted a Salmon letter to be despatched to Mrs Hart, who is reportedly out of the country. The letter will outline all adverse allegations against Mrs Hart and give her a chance to respond. Lawyers acting on behalf of the Joint Consultative Council have called on Mrs Hart to be summoned to give evidence.
