'WE KNOW PEOPLE VEX'By Andre Bagoo Friday, March 12 2010
CABINET members, particularly Information Minister Neil Parsanlal, yesterday went on the defensive over Calder Hart’s resignation as Udecott executive chairman, as public outrage over the Government’s handling of the Udecott affair continued.
In fact, Parsanlal appeared positively angered as a group of ministers were called upon to answer questions by the media at yesterday’s post-Cabinet press briefing, Diplomatic Centre, St Ann’s.
But as he heatedly beat down reporters who pressed the Government over its failure to remove Hart and the Udecott board prior to Hart’s resignation last Saturday, Parsanlal did concede that the Government is aware that the people of Trinidad and Tobago are angry over the Udecott scandal.
“There are lots of people out there who have viewed the whole imbroglio with Udecott and Calder Hart and have become very, very angry, have become very upset and concerned about the operations of the Government,” Parsanlal said. “And we are very much aware of that.”
“(Are) we concerned about that? Yes we are. Members of our own party live in Trinidad and Tobago too, they are citizens as are all of our ministers. We are here and therefore all of these things will be of concern to us. We feel that there has been anger in the population and we are very much aware of that,” he said.
Parsanlal’s comments were the first admission by any member of the Government that the Udecott issue may be hurting its credibility in the eyes of the population. They were the culmination of a press-briefing which saw Parsanlal block questions from reporters on Udecott, address some by their first name, and call one female reporter “my dear” no less than four times in the course of admonishing her for asking questions on Udecott.
The press briefing had been scheduled for 12.30 pm but started late at about 12.40 pm. Though he had attended Cabinet, Prime Minister Patrick Manning did not appear at the briefing notwithstanding the outrage over his handling of the Udecott issue.
The briefing, chaired by Parsanlal, got started with short presentations by the ministers present: Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs Gary Hunt, Minister of Education Esther Le Gendre, and Labour Minister Rennie Dumas.
The presentations were of little interest to reporters and members of the viewing public tuning in on State television CNMG and NCC Channel 4 and as soon as a question and answer segment began, the first question was on Udecott.
Asked by Newsday whether Cabinet members were aware of whether Attorney General John Jeremie had, as he claimed a day earlier, appointed Canadian forensic investigator Bob Lindquist to probe Udecott, Parsanlal said, “Matters of that nature are not discussed around the Cabinet table.”
Yet, he added, “for the benefit of all, the matter was discussed, the issues were discussed this morning. The Cabinet was satisfied that the Attorney General made a comprehensive statement yesterday and there is nothing that we wish to add this morning.”
Asked by Newsday to clarify whether the ministers only became aware of the Lindquist appointment yesterday morning, Parsanlal said, “That is not what I said Mr Bagoo and you are fully aware of what I said. I said that matters of that nature, probes and other such matters, are not discussed around the Cabinet table. I am also saying to you that the whole issue concerning Udecott and everything else was discussed this morning. We are satisfied that the Attorney General made an intervention yesterday and that is all that we are able to say at this point in time.
“We are saying further Mr Bagoo that we will allow everything that is in the public domain, in fact before the courts, and other investigations to take their due course.”
Asked to clarify whether the Cabinet was in the dark over the Lindquist probe, he said, “I think I have answered your question already.”
Asked why, if the matter was really one of “that nature” so as to debar it from being discussed at Cabinet, it was indeed discussed yesterday morning, Parsanlal said, “Is there another question?”
TV6 reporter Fabian Pierre lent support to the question saying, “It is a valid question.” There was no response.
Turning to Hunt, Newsday asked for the status of the nearly $1 billion Brian Lara Stadium project at Tarouba, a Udecott project dogged by allegations of corruption. Asked if he, as Minister of Sport, took any steps to make checks over allegations raised in the Uff Commission of Inquiry in relation to the project, Hunt said, “We seek to deliver the Brian Lara Stadium as quickly as possible, any other matters the Minister of Information spoke to that and the relevant agencies under which those responsibilities fall are being addressed.”
Asked if he took any steps to address the issues of corruption, a flustered Hunt said, “That is not what I said. We act as a Government, Mr Bagoo and there are relevant departments addressing aspects of Government and those departments are doing their job.”
Turning to Le Gendre, Newsday asked what action she took as a Cabinet minister whose portfolio touched upon Udecott through the work Udecott was doing on the Ministry of Education Tower in downtown Port-of-Spain, she said, “Mr Bagoo, you continue to need to do your home-work.
“Udecott is currently building the Ministry of Education Tower under the auspices of the Ministry of Planning. I’m a client. We are not speaking of involvement. What I am saying is that you need to get the facts straight and the fact is that there are different ministries. The Ministry of Education Tower, is a project of the Ministry of Planning which would have engaged any relevant contractors for that particular project. So that your question began to be posed to take some action. I am not in a position to take any action.”
Pressed further on her stance on Udecott generally, Parsanlal intervened defensively, saying, “Mr Bagoo there are other journalists present who would like to ask questions. Please allow your colleagues to ask questions as well. You are not the only reporter in the press conference. Mr (Sampson) Nanton?”
But Nanton, of CNC 3, also kept up the flame asking a question on Udecott.
He queried why the Government appeared to be on the one hand defending Hart as being hounded out of office and yet on the other hand revealing that it was investigating Hart.
Parsanlal testily replied, “Well in fact there was one set of information being given to the public until the Attorney General spoke yesterday.
“We act as a Government and as I indicated yesterday the Attorney General has expressed certain reservations. He has expressed certain positions and in light of all that has been said both by Minister (Emily) Dick-Forde, who I know you all are referring to, and the AG, we are satisfied that the intervention made by the Attorney General is the appropriate one at this time and therefore there is nothing else for us to add to that at this time.”
MINISTERS from Page 3A
When reporters pointed out that Manning defended Hart even after the Lindquist probe in September 2009, Parsanlal defended Hart and the Government.
“Whatever has to happen from the report from the Commission of Inquiry that will take its course. We hear allegations against all kinds of people does that mean that we stop speaking to them? Does that mean that we stop seeing them. Nothing has been charged as yet and as the AG has indicated there is an investigation going on and we are still awaiting the report from the Commission of Inquiry and whatever happens from those reports, whatever the outcome of those reports they will take their course,” he said.
Pierre asked a question in support of an earlier question asked by Newsday. He was met with this response, “No no, the question Mr Bagoo was asking was about criminal proceedings and corruption and the point we are making, Fabian (Pierre), is that that hasn’t been proven as yet. That is why there is a Commission of Inquiry.”
Kimberly Mackhan, a reporter from The Guardian, then asked, “Does the work of a Commission of Inquiry validate the work of a criminal investigation? And the work of the DPP? Is that what you’re implying?”
Parsanlal, who addressed other reporters present by their Christian names and who addressed Newsday’s reporter by his surname only, then said, “No, I never said that my dear.” He would refer to Mackhan as “my dear” four times during the briefing.
Asked by Newsday if it was acceptable that the Cabinet allowed Hart to remain in place notwithstanding serious allegations of corruption, Parsanlal said, “There are allegations against lots of people Mr Bagoo including persons you know your own self. Do you just remove those people?”
Pressed further and asked why the Cabinet failed to take any action when allegations against Hart were first publicly made since in May 2008, Parsanlal said, “Mr Bagoo, who made the charges, there are allegations made, the Government instituted a Commission of Inquiry.” Asked why the Government did not check the allegations of basic family connections between Hart and two directors of Sunway Construction Caribbean Limited, Parsanlal said, “But isn’t that the purpose of the Commission of Inquiry?” Asked why no steps were taken independently of the inquiry in light of how easily a political party, the Congress of the People (COP), was able to make such checks, Parsanlal said, “But the independent step was the setting up the Commission of Inquiry.” He noted that the Government should not disclose its probes. Dumas at this stage intervened, saying, “The Minister of Information is making a statement that along with what is happening with the Commission of Inquiry, we have since been informed that the DPP is conducting an investigation; we have since been informed that a forensic investigation is going on under the requirements of the AG.
“I think any of us or all of us have to wait and see what comes out of that. We have to await the culmination of the investigation and the actions taken based on that information. Any other course of action leaves us (exposed) to the charge of presumption.”
A reporter noted that it appeared acceptable for the Government to announce investigation of the Cleaver Heights housing project. Pressed why no efforts were made to get Hart to resign, Parsanlal said, “I can’t tell you why the decision was not made then. There was suspicion. Immediately upon the allegations raised by Mr Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj in the Parliament a Commission of Inquiry was instituted and that is the process by which the Government chose to let the process be ventilated. We are awaiting that report, we heard that it is due before Easter. There are investigations being awaited by the AG.”
Newsday later pointed out that the Government had initially resisted calls for a Commission of Inquiry and had appointed a joint select committee of Parliament which fell apart because the Opposition did not support it.
Asked by Mackhan why the country had to wait for the COP to obtain the documents through the Malaysian Registry, Parsanlal said, “Again, my dear, you are mixing up your sentences.” Asked by the same reporter if the documents which emerged were of concern to the Government, Parsanlal said, “All of these things, my dear, are of concern, what you are asking me to do is to proclaim someone guilty without even being charged and the Government will not do that. We too have a responsibility.”
“Did the Prime Minister ask Mr Hart to resign?” Mackhan asked. Parsanlal replied, “I never said that, my dear, if you wish to write that, go ahead. Sampson (Nanton)?”
Nanton asked what was the Cabinet’s attitude to Dr Keith Rowley, who first raised questions about Udecott in April 2008, now in light of the revelations, Parsanlal said, “All of us took an oath of office, and that is to uphold the law. And if in Dr Rowley’s own estimation what he was doing was upholding the law then all Dr Rowley did was uphold the oath of office as all of us intend to do on a day to day basis. Like Dr Rowley, all of us were upholding our oath of office.”
Asked by Newsday if the Government was linked to Hart, given its constant defence of him, Parsanlal said, “With the greatest of respect to you Mr Bagoo the answer is an emphatic no.” Pressed further, Parsanlal said, “Mr Bagoo there are other reporters here please do not be as selfish as you are. There is a lady behind you who wished to ask a question.”
He was asked for word on appointments to the five crucial boards Hart chaired but in response said, “You know that would be entirely improper for me to tell you who we are considering for appointment to those posts.”
Ending the briefing, Parsanlal said, “Ladies and gentlemen we thank you very much it has been a most interesting post-Cabinet press conference, we thank you very much for attending and we look forward to seeing you again next week when we hope we have a similarly robust press conference.”
