By Clint Chan Tack Thursday, October 8 2009

THE House of Representatives will deal with amendments to to the Proceeds of Crime Bill 2009 and the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) Bill 2009 when it sits on Friday at 1.30 pm.

The Proceeds of Crime Bill and the FIU Bill were passed in the Senate following marathon sessions on Monday and Tuesday respectively.

Opposition Chief Whip Dr Hamza Rafeeq told Newsday yesterday that House Leader Colm Imbert informed him that approving the amendments to these bills was on the top of the agenda for Friday’s sitting.

These bills must be passed by the end of the week in order to prevent Trinidad and Tobago from being blacklisted by international financial institutions.

While it is listed on the Order Paper, Rafeeq said Imbert informed him the House would not be debating the Validation Bill on Friday.

The Validation and Immunity from Proceedings Bill 2009 is designed to preserve the work of the Uff Commission of Inquiry into Udecott and the construction sector.

It has already been passed in the Senate.

The Chief Whip added that while this bill will be dealt with by the House, the urgency of the matter has been reduced in light of last week’s ruling by the High Court that the commission conduct no further hearings and publish no documents until a hearing takes place in February. On Monday, Attorney General John Jeremie instructed Udecott executive chairman Calder Hart to have the company’s lawyers return to court to withdraw a consent order which halted the Uff inquiry.

Friday’s sitting of the House will be the first since the court’s order to halt the inquiry pending a judicial review application by Udecott which was set for February 2010. Prime Minister Patrick Manning was attending the 64th General Assembly of the United Nations in New York when the ruling was made. On Tuesday, Opposition Senator Wade Mark called on Manning to break his silence on the whole Udecott fiasco.

While the Prime Minister can speak during the time allotted for “statements by ministers,” government officials yesterday were unable to say whether or not Manning would be making any statement in Parliament on Friday. The Prime Minister has repeatedly defended both Udecott and Hart in public on several occasions since the inquiry began last year. Planning Minister Dr Emily Gaynor Dick Forde, who was also in New York at the time of the ruling, said Udecott’s legal action was not in conflict with Government’s efforts to validate the inquiry.

The TT Football Federation Bill 2009 will be laid in the House on Friday. There are also motions on land acquisition for public purposes on the Order Paper for discussion.