(Trinidad Express) Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley will be a key subject in a commission of enquiry ordered by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar yesterday to investigate the Las Alturas housing project in Morvant.
The two-tower project cost $26 million but had to be demolished due to structural problems. Persad-Bissessar announced former high-level members of the People’s National Movement (PNM), including Rowley, will be probed to determine who was responsible for the scandal. She said the commission will determine whether there are any grounds for criminal and civil proceedings against any person or entity; whether criminal proceedings should therefore be recommended to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for his consideration; and whether civil proceedings should be recommended to the Attorney General for his consideration. The Prime Minister said the Las Alturas buildings H and I were designed by the PNM, the contractor was hired by the PNM, constructed by the PNM and the buildings collapsed under the PNM. She said the project, which should have provided homes for 48 families, has cost this country over $26 million, plus another $2 million to demolish the buildings. Persad-Bissessar noted both Rowley, who was a former housing minister under the PNM, as well as Emily Gaynor Dick-Forde, who succeeded him, have distanced themselves from the project, singing like Shaggy, “It wasn’t me”. She also pointed out PNM Senator Faris Al-Rawi was on the board of the Housing Development Corporation (HDC) when this project was born. “The people of this country have a right to know who is accountable for this construction disaster that may soon become the new flag-bearer for the Member for Diego Martin West’s tenure as Minister of Housing,” said Persad-Bissessar. The Prime Minister said she was disgusted when Housing Minister Dr Roodal Moonilal spoke on the matter in Parliament and she requested the file on Las Alturas be brought to her. She provided the timeline of the start of the project to its demise (see box at right). “So where did that money go? We have to answer that question. Should the public today do like the PNM did and sweep this matter under the carpet? Should these high- profile PNM members not be able to explain what happened under their watch?” asked Persad-Bissessar.
Construction timeline
n On March 31, 2004, the former Urban Development Corporation of Trinidad and Tobago (UDeCOTT) board, led by former executive chairman Calder Hart, unanimously agreed to award a contract of $67.62 million, inclusive of VAT, to China Jiangsu International Corporation (CJIC) for the construction of 297 apartments in Lady Young Road, Morvant. n Rowley was the line minister for UDeCOTT from November 10, 2003, to November 2007, and the decision was made under his watch. n There were early warning signs about the project as in March 2005, a letter was sent from UDeCOTT’s chief construction engineer, Ian Telfer, to Planning Associates Ltd (PAL), informing them UDeCOTT was aware of significant movement of the lower slope of the site, which may have serious repercussions with respect to the construction of the multi-storey apartment buildings in that area. n Another letter was sent from PAL to UDeCOTT CEO Winston Agard, revealing there was evidence of land movement where Blocks F, G, H and J were located. n Despite all of this, Persad-Bissessar said, in March 2005, CJIC (who put forward the lowest bid during the tendering process for the project) requested an additional $8.2 million to complete works on the Las Alturas project. n UDeCOTT then engaged Geo Tech Associates to provide geotechnical information concerning the site chosen, but the information provided failed to detect there was a partially blocked ravine and the presence of a spring on the site which contributed to slippage of the hill and, therefore, it was conceivable the total number of units to be constructed may have to be reduced by half. n On July 30, 2007, CJIC was awarded the contract for 24 months and given possession of the site. n The cost of the contract was $74,876,832 for 134 units in 20 buildings. n ”At that time, the Member for Diego Martin West was housing minister, one Mr Andre Monteil was the chairman of the HDC and a Mr Faris Al-Rawi was a director of the HDC,” said Persad-Bissessar. n On January 24, 2008, phase two of the project was signed between HDC & CJIC—when Dick-Forde was now housing minister. n In October 2008, a geotechnical (subsoil) investigation report was prepared by Geotech Associates Ltd to define the foundation works for Buildings H, I and J. n CJIC commenced work for buildings H and I on December 8, 2008; nearly a year later in November 2009, signs of cracking were observed on the ground-floor slab of building H. n Since 2005, red flags were raised and ignored. n In January 2010, buildings H and I were completed but despite this, a few months later in October 2010, Geotech Associates was asked to do a second soil report although cracks were seen before in 2009. n Geotech Associates did further extensive geotechnical studies during November and December 2010 and submitted a final report, which noted the land was moving laterally and was affected by land sliding. n Civil Engineering Management and Services (CEMAS, the company that designed Buildings H, I and J) provided additional recommendations that portions of each building (H and I) be demolished to relieve stress to the structure. n Dr Robert Ratay, an international forensic structural engineer, along with his team of structural and geotechnical experts from Sevrund Associates Consulting Engineers and Mueser Ruteledge Consulting Engineers, were engaged to provide a report which concluded the lowest degree of difficulty and risk was to demolish selected units of blocks H and I and to abandon the site. n Trintoplan Consults Ltd concluded Building H was too severely damaged to be salvaged and while parts of I can be salvaged, it may be inevitable Building I would also have to be demolished. n The reason for the damage was a landslip which ran under both of the buildings. n CJIC was awarded a contract for $67.62 million for the construction of 297 apartments. However, UDeCOTT only managed blocks A and B, in which 56 units were built. n The HDC managed Phase 2 which encompassed Blocks C-I and yielded 116 units. n In total therefore, only 172 apartments were constructed, which meant there was an additional 125 units which were paid for but which were never constructed.
