Tuesday February 9th, 2010
- Last update:10 hours 21 min ago
Udecott gets leave to challenge Uff enquiry
Published: 26 Sep 2009
John Uff
The Urban Development Corporation of Trinidad and Tobago (Udecott) has been granted leave to file for judicial review, challenging the validity of Commission of Enquiry into Udecott and the construction sector. Justice Mira Dean-Armorer, presiding in the Port-of-Spain High Court, made the order yesterday. The judge has scheduled next Friday to hear oral application on what interim reliefs will be granted while the substantive matter is being heard. Udecott has filed the matter against the three commissioners—Kenneth Sirju, Desmond Thornhill and chairman John Uff.
Among the interim reliefs, Udecott is asking for the commissioners not to proceed any further with the inquiry until the determination of the substantive matter. It also wants the commissioners prohibited from drafting any report until the judicial review case is determined. In the substantive matter, Udecot will challenge the validity of the commission on the basis of it not being gazetted for the duration of its hearings. Udecott will state that although the commission was published in an extraordinary edition of the Gazette on September 11, this does not have retroactive effect. The state enterprise is also claiming bias against former commissioner Israel Khan and current commissioner Sirju. Attorney General John Jeremie yesterday introduced a validation bill in the Senate to validate the work of the suspended commission of enquiry.
Speaking in Parliament on September 11, Jeremie announced that retired Justice of Appeal Anthony Lucky would conduct an “urgent probe” on how the Government failed to comply with the legal requirement to publish in the Gazette, the holding of the commission of enquiry. The commission began public hearings on January 12. It was suspended early this month by Uff because of the error. Representing Udecott in the judicial review application are Queen’s Counsel Andrew Goddard, Frank Solomon, SC, and Devesh Maharaj, who are instructed by Vanessa Mohammed of the firm Pollonais, Blanc, de la Bastide and Jacelon.
HOW TO COMPLICATE MATTERS
HOW TO COMPLICATE MATTERS 101 -
Just lock up the people for corruption.
This is all total twaddle.
This is all total twaddle. It is akin to the bungling of the President’s Integrity Commission appointments. Here we have a state corporation who’s CEO seems accountable to no one except the executive and who enjoys the on the record confidence of the Prime Minister. The state bungles the setting up the Commission of Enquiry and now the ever reliable taxpayer will again pay for UdeCott’s high profile lawyers in their bid to quash the very enquiry to rein in the operations of this company. It follows from these and other developments, why there is continued erosion of confidence in our institutions and also a ‘hol we nuh’ daring attitude from the malfeasants in our society.
Democracy is not a spectator sport. Even with professional sports teams, players and their coaches and owners come under heavy pressure and censure when players do not work and perform as they should and in many instances, suffer heavy consequences for this. Our leaders and those who supposedly are to work for us and all their actions need to be held accountable at every step and be made to pay consequences just like the rest of us.
....the various twists,
....the various twists, turns and thievery spawned by this Udecott thing will eventually will make the Piarco fiasco look like child's play....
Udecott beating TnT
Udecott beating TnT taxpayers with they own bootoo.
The PM, Pres Max and Hart must be sipping champagne and laughing at how Udecott making this whole CoE a big joke.
At the end of it all, taxpayers will be poorer as a result.
http://dsaltsman.blogspot.com/
This is what the government
This is what the government wants. Not so?
Jump high, jump low, the
Jump high, jump low, the horse has already stormed out of the stable and the entire population and the world by extension have been made aware of what has been happening with the way our money was being handled by Udecott. Legal or not legal, gazette or no gazette, at the end of it all somebody has to be brought before the courts to answer questions for this scandal. If it dies a natural death, I am certain it would be resurrected in the minds of many come the next general election. It would be wise for the ruling party to do all in its power to ensure that the wheels of justice continues to turn to the satisfaction of the voting population.
Why must taxpayers pay for
Why must taxpayers pay for UDECOTT's high priced lawyers to defend the indefensible? I'm sure there is sufficient evidence to deepen the investigation and zero in on a selected few areas where the DPP can concentrate. But is there the political will? But it's not in the Govt's interest to expose their nakedness, so they will try to use any fig leaf they can find.
If UDECOTT wants a new enquiry, they could have one and use all the evidence already gathered. And you don't need more commissioners at this stage. Not too long ago. Anestine Sealey (was that her name?) did a one-commissioner commission of enquiry; and some years Lennox Deyalsingh did one on the airport, and before him was Lionel Seemungal, who did one on overselling tickets for the US/Soca Warriors pre-qualifier for the World Cup, if I remember rightly.
'Monkey know what vine to
'Monkey know what vine to swing on,' ent?
ajfyzabadbutlertown
The Prince:- Its not that we
The Prince:-
Its not that we 'must .. pay' for their shaninigans; they got us over a barrel, all sanctioned by the Emperor and his toolmen.
How about us taking on this challenge ourselves.
With the intelligence and insight we got, we can do a 'mash-up' job, and put those idlers to shame. Overslept huh?
Not me, under the weather with the flu and irritable to the max; need to trade-in this old body for a new one. Don't worry I am in 'quarantine'. Need my mommy, but she is visiting the Queen, literally.
They are using up the last ounce of civility left in us .. no telling what we are liable to do.
No,FlowerPower,; no
No,FlowerPower,; no oversleep; got my full 5 hours; decided to do something more useful and productive. Is mom going to accompany the Queen for the CHOGM? Will she be lodged at the Cascadia or is she a guest at the Imperial Palace? Hope she gives Marm a good briefing, maybe recommend "Mugabe's" suspension or expulsion for violation of her Commonwealth's principles and conduct.
Hope you get over the H1N1.
Must never let a great
Must never let a great opportunity pass you by. A brilliant one, and you say NAY. Well the offer was made.
Mom's got a better change of flying and being housed with the Queen than she does being accommodated at the the Emperor's Imperial Palace. See what I can do on making movement. Anyway, I don't think any citizen who is not suffering from dementia would want to set up house at the 'palace' - its got the blood and tears of it's people spilled all over it. Nightmares?
Skeletons in the cupboards?
Skeletons in the cupboards?
CHECK DEE PARTY
CHECK DEE PARTY CARDS,MAN!
One needs to look at the political affiliation of the folks who made this decision.
Isn't that how justice is carried out these days in T & T and, indeed many other parts of the corrupt world?
Udecott is solely owned by
Udecott is solely owned by the government of Trinidad & Tobago but it functions like a law unto itself with the "all-powerful" chairman , Calder Hart , who only has to answer to the Prime Minister , Patrick Manning .
The government is doing the correct thing by validating the life of the Uff Commission via an act of parliament . Calder Hart should be removed from being chairman of Udecott .
ATW - Barbados .