Tobago Correspondent
Political leader of the People’s National Movement’s Tobago Council Ancil Dennis has criticised the Tobago House of Assembly for failing to obtain the necessary approval, twice, for the $70 million Friendship Connector Road Project.
A High Court injunction granted to a family yesterday forced work on the project to come to a stop, the second time legal action had stopped the activity. (See page 6)
During a media conference yesterday, Dennis said he was preparing to make a formal complaint to the Integrity Commission against Chief Secretary Farley Augustine and Infrastructure, Quarries and Urban Development Secretary Trevor James.
“We are saying the actions of Trevor James, aided and abetted by Chief Secretary Farley Augustine, are tantamount to not only the deliberate breaking of the law but the dereliction of duty, a betrayal of their oath of office.”
However, Dennis said the injunction was nothing for members of the opposition on the island to rejoice over. He said the first injunction on the project, brought before the High Court last May by the Environmental Management Agency, costs Tobago a hefty bill.
“This is a sad development because when it was the EMA situation, the same Trevor James, responding to questions from the Minority Leader, told Tobago the court matter cost Tobago in excess of $1 million.”
Contacted for comment yesterday, James said he will respond when he has a copy of the injunction in hand.
The project is currently 75 per cent completed and is expected to be finished by the end of March.
All attempts to reach Augustine yesterday for comment were unsuccessful.