By CLINT CHAN TACK Friday, October 2 2009

INDEPENDENT Senator Michael Annisette last night launched a full-scale offensive against Diego Martin West MP Dr Keith Rowley, the Opposition UNC, the media and an alleged cartel in the construction industry.

He did so as he defended Udecott, of which he is a board member, against attempts by persons to portray it as a corrupt entity which is trying to undermine the Uff Commission of Inquiry.

Annisette began his contribution on the Validation and Immunity from Proceedings Bill 2009 by laying his cards on the table. He chronicled his history in the trade union movement, his appointment to Udecott’s board of directors and his appointment as an independent senator in December 2007. Declaring there was nothing to debar him from speaking on the Bill, Annisette slammed what he described as attempts by certain special interests and cartels to manipulate the press into misrepresenting the facts about Udecott.

He said contrary to what was reported in the media, Udecott welcomes the inquiry and is not trying to undermine it by applying for judicial review, which it is entitled to pursue under the Constitution if it felt its rights were being infringed. “We (Udecott) have subjected ourselves to scrutiny. I welcome the inquiry. The Government is doing the right thing by bringing the Bill,” Annisette stated. However, he declared that any attempt to deny Udecott its legitimate right to defend itself is “not what democracy is all about.” “This is the greatest act of impertinence,” Annisette quipped.

Training his guns on Rowley, Annisette declared: “Dr Rowley, I’m not afraid of you! You made a mistake to deal with a dock worker.”

Dismissing rumours that Udecott’s board is close to Prime Minister Patrick Manning, Annisette charged that Rowley received a $500,000 donation from NH International Caribbean (NHIC) chairman Emile Elias during the 2007 General Election campaign. Rowley, Annisette said, described Elias as a good friend.

The senator questioned how Rowley could accuse Udecott of corruption but not mention the fact that NHIC is not registered in TT but in the Cayman Islands, which Annisette said is a tax haven. He claimed this meant that $1 billion of taxpayers’ money spent by NHIC on projects in this country has gone to the Cayman Islands. He called on Attorney General John Jeremie to investigate why Elias was not charged with certain offences in relation to the Landate project in Tobago.