Tuesday February 9th, 2010
- Last update:13 hours 21 min ago
Transparency head:
Sirju made right decision
Published: 3 Sep 2009
Victor Hart
President of the Trinidad and Tobago Transparency Institute (TTTI) Victor Hart has welcomed the decision by Kenneth Sirju, member of the Uff Commission of Enquiry into the Construction Sector, to recuse himself from the probe on matter relating to the Cleaver Heights Housing Project in Arima. Sirju’s decision was taken after the submission of a letter by the Urban Development Corporation of T&T (Udecott) to the commission, accusing him of being in a conflict of interest.
Udecott said the conflict of interest arose because Sirju’s engineering company KS&P provided professional services to contractor NH International on the Cleaver Heights project and he was now sitting in judgment of matters related to the very project. “Clearly Commissioner Sirju made the right decision in the greater national interest and should be applauded,” Hart said. He said Sirju’s decision to recuse himself from all matters relating to Cleaver Heights has “removed the obstacle that might have prevented the continuation and completion of the Commission of Enquiry into the Construction Sector.”
Hart said the TTTI welcomed that development. He said the TTTI was concerned that after spending many millions of taxpayers’ dollars, the inquiry might have been aborted. Hart said while he was happy that the inquiry would continue, he was concerned that Udecott had been allowed by the Government to use taxpayers’ money to pursue legal action to challenge the work of a Cabinet-appointed inquiry. Hart said he had hoped that the Minister with responsibility for Udecott, Dr Emily Dick-Forde would have intervened and told Udecott to desist from such actions.
Don't tell me that Victor
Don't tell me that Victor doesn't know that his namesake seems to wield power like a de facto Deputy PM (maybe even the real PM??) and might well be an ex-oficio senior member of the Cabinet.
I hope Mr Hart is aware that
I hope Mr Hart is aware that the report will be 'redacted' - sanitised in plain English - before it is released, if ever.
Jumbie's Watch
...that's all well and good
...that's all well and good Victor...now give us your views on the finance minister and her CLICO exploits...or is she above the rules of the game?....
Do you think that Caulder
Do you think that Caulder Hart and his legal team are loosing their midas touch. They forced Mr. Khan out. Thats one down. Then they moved to have Mr. Sirju kicked off the Commission. But now they have to settle for him recusing himself only from the Clever Heights business. What a shame the gentleman still holds his seat for the bigger picture. Mr. Victor Hart, Minister Emily Gaynor Dick Forde would not want to pull back the reigns of Mr. Hart and his legal team, because after all their aim is to 'get Rowley', and spending our money shamelessly is no cause for concern to them, because it is not theirs. They will leave no stone unturned to accomplish their goals - 'get Rowley' and 'clear Mr. Caulder Hart' of any wrongdoings.. Shame on us for giving unlimited power to this gov't to run amock, and not having to account to us.
Hey, Didn't epsomsalts
Hey, Didn't epsomsalts mention that this week?
The fact that Government using taxpayers' money for the Uff Commission against UdeCott and UdeCott using taxpayers' money to put a legal strongarm on the Commission...
http://dsaltsman.blogspot.com/
I am minding my business but
I am minding my business but I would like to know if corruption is institutionalized in "Sweet T&T" ?? I am still minding my business but I would like to know how a canadian like Caulder Hart has so much power in "Sweet T&T" but some bloggers want to run me ??
Trinbagonians have plenty money invested in Barbados and bajans buy plenty goods from T&T - therefore , our interests are interlocked , socio-economically . God bless Trinidad & Tobago and Barbados .
ATW - Barbados .
If we do things properly in
If we do things properly in the first place then we would not be spending millions in conducting a commission of enquiry to find out what is going on. Accountability and transparency!Checks and balances have to be designed in all processes.
Are we to believe that the owner of a small consulting company in a small Caribbean island does not know with whom he conducts business with and from which activities he derives an income. Surely such excuses are not acceptable. In the first place the appointment should never have been accepted fully well knowing that one worked on the Clever Heights project and that UDeCott was involved in this project.
It was my understanding from
It was my understanding from reading the various newspaper articles, that the Cleaver Heights project was not part of the original items to be investigated by the Commission and that it was added on towards the end of the last session. Also, from the same sources, I understand that UDeCOTT is not involved in that project. The final decision made wrt Mr. Sirju seems to be the best possible in that it does not void all that has gone before.
Sorry to disagree, Gardenia,
Sorry to disagree, Gardenia, it wasn't we who gave them unbridled power. It was the naive, masochistic Bas and the spiteful Robbie who did it and got us in to this abysmal situation.
I second that Prince.
I second that Prince.
Claxtonbay Trini I also
Claxtonbay Trini
I also support that Prince....but Gardenia made some good true factual comments....the person who had ultimate power was a person who fought the PNM for yrs, and what did he do when he had the ultimate power in his hands.....yes, it's "spiteful" Robbie I am talking about.....where is he now?.....a true Trini is a trini for ALL the people.....
I stand corrected. The
I stand corrected.
The Prince has spoken.
You are quite right.
But, I used the collective "we" loosely here.
I am sneaking in your 'educating Gardenia: -
'Shame on those of us who stood by and gave permission, by our silence, to Mr. P. to abdicate his responsibilities and put faith in Mr. Robbie to serve up this country and its people, on a silver platter with all his morality and spirituality to Mr. Manning, the Emperor. ..... Sharp lot, you are.
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PS: How come you guys in the know did not have something to say about Mariano Browne promising to bring in a consultant to look into the disparity of US $1.07 M. for the helicopters. You worked hard - did your research - and presented your findings ... have a look at the results of your handiwork:- POLITICS, Aug. 29th - "Browne Promises Probe into Helicopter Contract".
Although we seem to be
Although we seem to be straying from the subject of the newspaper article, it would be interesting to delve into the minds of our politicians to see how their minds work. I'm no Freud, but I'll have a go: Some claim that politics has a morality of its own and they are prepared to sleep with the devil. But as you know if you deal with the devil, you have to pay the devil when he cashes in his chips, and he don't come cheap.
Recall the 33:3 NAR landslide victory in 1986 which went to the messiah's head in his delusion that it was he, Napoleon who had brought out the masses to vote for change. Whenever the mannish one spoke out of turn he (mannish) was reminded that he was there by the grace of his godfather and benefactor who had decided against a recount of the votes in marginal S'fdo E. Fastforward to the year 1995 with an 17:17:2 result. Kingmaker said he became tired of waiting for his mannish boy to come down to him to do a deal. He waited in the hotel all day. Having been left standing at the altar of expediency he made an offer to the Silver Fox as Mannish was still going on about fighting alone, winning alone & losing alone. By now the extraordinaire kingmaker was looking to scale higher heights like an executive presidency. As an executive president he was not accountable to the people and he could hire and fire as he pleases. When he was finally able to annoint the prodigal son he was allowed to stay on for as long as he wished while negotiating a generous package the likes of which no other head of state had ever seen. As Chaucer said, the past is prologue. And the rest is history. I wonder if Harribance who reminded me of the 3 witches in Macbeth had seen all this in his crystal ball. Anyhow, the fairy tale had a happy ending ... for a few, the chosen few. You have all the ingredients for a tragi-comedy.
Insanity Wish:- Prince,
Insanity Wish:-
Prince, you must be an individual who likes to live on the edges. You would like to delve into the minds of our politicians? Many a brave man have tried and failed or left their assessment with the words:- 'INCOMPLETE' or 'UNABLE TO DEPIPHER'.
Politicians come with 'twisted' wires, they are a breed unto themselves.
And as a friend would say to me, 'they are not of this earth, or planet .... they are aliens'. Interesting..
I suspect that even Freud would have been hesitant,
You would quicker grow insane, than come to any logical assessment.
Give it a go - I am sure it will be an interesting exercise. Never let anyone get in your way ...