(Trinidad Express) In what appears to be a rap on the knuckles of the Works Minister, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar announced on Saturday night that the TT$47 million contract awarded by the Airports Authority of Trinidad and Tobago (AATT) to Harry Persad and Sons for the upgrade of lighting at Piarco would be reviewed for the purpose of having it struck out.
The announcement that the contract would be examined with a view to it being rescinded came hours after Jack Warner’s admission that the contract was awarded on his instructions and in the absence of a board.
The PM’s release is as follows:
“The Honourable Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has taken note of a story headlined “$47m Award in One Day” in today’s Express newspaper (Saturday, Octo-ber 09, 2010) that refers to the award of a public contract.
The story refers to a contract to Harry Persad and Sons Limited, approved by the Airports Authority of Trinidad and Tobago on September 21, 2010, and suggests that this was done a day after the contractor won the bid for the said contract.
This matter was previously brought to the attention of the Prime Minister, who had then instructed that should such a contract be awarded in the absence of accountability and transparency, the same should be voided.
In light of the allegations now in the public domain, for the avoidance of doubt and in the interests of transparency and accountability, the Prime Minister has concluded that the award of this contract must be reviewed with a view to rescission of same.”