By SEAN DOUGLAS Sunday, March 21 2010

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LIGHTHOUSE: The controversial church which was under contruction at the Heights of Gunapo....

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MINISTER of Finance, Karen Nunez-Tesheira, denied her Ministry had ever given funds for the Lighthouse of the Lord Jesus Christ Church at the Heights of Guanapo, being built by the Shanghai Construction Company.

She said there was no financial relationship between Udecott, Nipdec and SCG to build the Lighthouse, replying to a motion on the adjournment of the Lower House on Friday night brought by Caroni East MP Dr Tim Gopeesingh.

Nunez-Tesheira read a Udecott statement from March 11, saying, “There has never been any contract between Udecott and any party for the design, engineering and construction-work for this project (that is, the Lighthouse).”

She said Udecott also denied hiring two local engineering firms to work on the church. Nunez- Tesheira read a March 11 letter from Nipdec GM, Wendy Ali, to her Ministry, saying, “There is no relationship nor has there ever been any relationship between Udecott, Nipdec and the Shanghai Construction Company in the construction of the Lighthouse of the Lord Jesus Christ in terms of financial contractual obligation.”

Nunez-Tesheira read a letter from her Ministry’s Budget Division to her permanent secretary, which said, “The Ministry of Finance Budget Division has never released resources to meet any expenditure relating to the construction of a church or a facility for the Lighthouse of the Lord Jesus Christ Church at the Heights of Guanapo.”