By CLINT CHAN TACK Wednesday, March 10 2010

OPPOSITION SENATOR Wade Mark last night in the Senate called on Attorney General John Jeremie and the police to investigate the involvement of former UNC treasurer Unanan Persad in a company which was allegedly based at Persad’s home in Point Lisas and which collected monies on behalf of the TT Civil Aviation Authority (TTCA).

Mark said he had a letter dated January 15, 2009 which said a company called Air Transit Clearing House Company Limited, had been authorised by the TTCA and its subsidiary Caribbean Air Navigation and Advisory Services (CANAS) Limited, “to collect all air navigation charges originating from the Piarco flight information region from non aircraft IATA (International Air Transport Association) owners or operators who are not already receiving invoices by CANAS.”

Declaring that he had no knowledge of Air Transit’s existence, Mark said he found out that the company was based at 83 Rivulet Road in Point Lisas. “Who are the owners of this company? When I looked at where air transit is located and I go to the list of directors. I see a name, Unanan Persad in trust for and on behalf of the TTCA,” Mark said. Persad was considered as a PNM candidate for Couva South in the 2007 general election.

Claiming that Persad is a TTCA director and that CANAS was supposed to be collecting the money which Air Transit is allegedly collecting, Mark declared: “This is a criminal activity that is taking place here.” Mark also claimed the TTCA awarded a $190 million contract to a company called China Building Group and has not allowed the Auditor General to scrutinise its books. Mark later admonished Government for defending former Udecott chairman Calder Hart.

“Who is Calder Hart? Who is this man? You knoweth not the man? You investigate him. That is why you are all so glum today. Everybody is facing jail except the Attorney General,” Mark quipped.

Responding to some of Mark’s claims, Works and Transport Minister Colm Imbert said: “The fact of the matter is the Civil Aviation Authority did send all of its accounts (to the Auditor General).”