(Trinidad Express) Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar announced yesterday that her government intends to pursue a civil lawsuit against Calder Hart, former executive chairman of the Urban Development Corporation of Trinidad and Tobago (UDeCOTT).
She further disclosed that legal action will be taken against the former Petrotrin board led by Ken Julien as well as the former E-teck board for negligence and bad investments that cost this country billions.
The Prime Minister noted that the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) is doing his work with respect to whether criminal charges can be laid.
She said Cabinet agreed that civil proceedings will commence against Hart and other board heads in fulfilling their promise to go after those who “raped this country’s Treasury”.
“The Attorney General has issued pre-action protocol letters to Calder Hart with respect to the Sunway company (which won) the $368 million contract for the Legal Affairs Tower,” said Persad-Bissessar.
“The board of UDeCOTT by resolution has authorised the commencement of legal action against former chairman Calder Hart for fraud, for negligence and breach of statutory duty,” she continued.
The Prime Minister added that forensic investigator Canadian Bob Lindquist completed his investigations into these projects and that report was forwarded to the Anti Corruption Investigations Bureau.
Persad-Bissessar said a second civil lawsuit will be filed against Hart for his involvement in the award of the billion-dollar contract to now deceased contractor Hafeez Karamath for the construction of the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Tarouba.
Pre-action protocol letters, she said, were sent to the former Petrotin board led by Julien for negligence and cost overruns incurred on the World Gas to Liquids (GTL) plant.
Last Friday, Education Minister Dr Tim Gopeesingh said taxpayers stood to lose some $20 billion as a result of that project under the PNM.
The Prime Minister also reminded that legal action was taken against the former E-teck board for US$5 million payout investment which yielded no returns for this country.
She referred to former prime minister Patrick Manning’s challenge to the Government to lock him up.
“There was a bold statement in Parliament last Friday by the member for San Fernando East saying lock me up and lock up Calder Hart. It is very interesting when you have a former prime minister challenging people to lock him up. … I trust he will recall his own words, ‘jail eh nice’,” said Persad-Bissessar.
Persad-Bissessar said she will respect the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
“This is not to say that none of them will face the full brunt of the law but the DPP is the person with the constitutional authority to determine whether charges will be brought. I will not be provoked, none of us will be provoked in breaching the constitutional framework and the law to intervene in the work of the DPP, so we leave you in the hands of the DPP and the Commissioner of Police,” said Persad-Bissessar.
