By COREY CONNELLY Sunday, March 14 2010

The Government is “destroying the soul of the nation” by continuing to condone the wrongdoings of Udecott and its former executive chairman Calder Hart, Tabaquite MP Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj insisted yesterday.

Maharaj made the statement in the wake of Prime Minister Patrick Manning’s news conference on Friday, in which he addressed the controversial Calder Hart issue.

Speaking during a meeting to halt the proposed construction of the rapid rail at Ramgoolie Trace in Cunupia, Maharaj argued that the Government had a moral responsibility to ensure that Government companies were not only administered honestly but appeared to the public to be so administered.

“Any reasonable member of the public knowing the facts which have appeared in the public must come to the conclusion that Government is protecting Udecott and Calder Hart,” he told the gathering.

Alleging that the Government facilitated Udecott in mega projects in excess of $100 billion, Maharaj said evidence had suggested that the pre-qualification requirements for CH Development Ltd to have been a bidder for the contract for the Ministry of Legal Affairs building, was not satisfied.

“The facts also show several irregularities in respect of other procurement contracts awarded by Udecott,” he added.

During his briefing, Maharaj took issue with Manning’s statement that Hart was innocent until he was found guilty and that it would be wrong for the Government to act against him.

“The Prime Minister, is in effect saying that a public official can openly commit irregularities... and compromise the public interest, but until the person is found guilty by a Commission of Inquiry or by a Court of Law, the Government cannot take steps to remove the person from office and that the person can only be removed from office if he/she voluntarily resigns from that office,” he added.

Maharaj reasoned that Manning should have accorded the same treatment to former Chief Justice Satnarine Sharma and former ministers Franklyn Khan and Eric Williams.

Meanwhile, the National Foodcrop Farmers Association has also told the Government that construction of a rapid rail was not a priority at this time.

Rather, the organisation said food, water, healthcare, jobs, education, crime reduction and security should be the main focus.

It said the resignation of Hart and the revelation about the quantum of funds spent on an inquiry to investigate Udecott, highlighted the mal-development practices of the Government.

“Those funds, together with the unknown millions squandered on useless projects would have been better spent on enhancing the quality of life for citizens,” the Association said.