By CLINT CHAN TACK Monday, November 9 2009

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GUARDING THE ACADEMY: A row of policemen on horseback from the Police Mounted Branch in formation at the front of the Academy for the Performing Arts ...

UNANSWERED allegations of corruption against State-owned Udecott will overshadow today’s grand opening of one of its signature projects, the multi- million dollar Port-of-Spain Academy of the Performing Arts at the Princes Building Grounds at 5 pm.

PNM Diego Martin West MP Dr Keith Rowley reminded the nation of this stark reality yesterday on the eve of the Academy’s formal opening by Prime Minister Patrick Manning in front of a host of dignitaries.

Rowley and Opposition UNC MPs will not be amongst those persons expected to attend the opening of the Academy which is the venue for the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) on November 27.

Manning returned home from London yesterday after discussing CHOGM preparations with Commonwealth Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma.

While Opposition members were invited to the opening, Opposition Leader Basdeo Panday said no UNC member will be attending even though the party has not taken a decision to boycott the event.

“The opening of any facility has nothing to do with the procurement process. Procurement and oversight are separate matters” Rowley declared. Prior to Manning firing him from the Cabinet last April, Rowley raised concerns about the inclusion of hotel accommodations at the academy which he said were not part of the original design. Rowley has said Manning fired him for raising concerns over a lack of oversight of Udecott’s operations but Manning has countered that he fired Rowley because of his attitude and behaviour. Rowley has since branded the academy as “a galvanise mausoleum.”

Rowley said he was looking forward to the Uff Inquiry completing its work and submitting its work. The Validation Bill, passed in the Senate and House on October 1 and October 21, was designed to preserve the work of the Uff Commission. President George Maxwell Richards assented the bill into law on November 3.

Rowley also said he was waiting this Friday to hear Finance Minister Karen Nunez-Tesheira answer his question on the House’s Order Paper about the salaries and allowances which Hart receives as chairman of Udecott, National Insurance Board, TT Mortgage Finance Company, Nipdec and the Home Mortgage Bank.

Panday said he will not be at the opening because the UNC has a public meeting in El Dorado tonight at 7 pm. St Augustine MP Vasant Bharath said his non-attendance was due to the fact he was organising the meeting. He said UNC members would decide on their own whether they would attend.

Senate Minority Leader Wade Mark said he would not attend the event even if he received an invitation. “Udecott is mired in so much controversy. Until that matter is settled, it would be difficult for me to be part of that.” Mark, who is also chairman of the Parliament’s Public Accounts Enterprises Committee, said Udecott has “failed miserably to submit its audited financial statements for the years 2007 to 2009 to the Parliament.

Oropouche East MP Dr Roodal Moonilal said he will not attend for similar reasons. Contacted in St Kitts where she was just involved in a successful court matter with that country’s opposition party, Siparia MP Kamla Persad-Bissessar said she was returning home last night and did not know whether she would attend the opening.

Tabaquite MP Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj said he was heavily involved in a court matter against Alutrint and would not be at today’s opening.