Tuesday February 9th, 2010
- Last update:8 hours 2 min ago
Outrage over Udecott…
Ramesh: I am not afraid of PM
Published: 5 Oct 2009
Former Attorney General Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj has warned that nothing will intimidate him from initiating legal action against Prime Minister Patrick Manning for abandoning the interests of the public. This comes after allegations that the Prime Minister was acting in collusion to derail investigations into corruption at the State-owned Urban Development Corporation of Trinidad and Tobago Limited (Udecott). “I have a duty and I will discharge my duty, and Prime Minister Patrick Manning knows that I am not afraid to discharge my duty, and the Attorney General (John Jeremie) should know that I know the functions of an attorney general. I may not be as good as him, but I know the functions of an attorney general,” Maharaj said.
“This is not an issue that people should be afraid of. People have a duty to fight. This is billions of dollars being stolen from the pockets of the poor people in this country, who need that money for pension, healthcare and everything else. This is injustice.” Maharaj was speaking yesterday morning at a press conference at the Rotunda of the Red House on Abercromby Street in Port of Spain. He joined in the outrage against decisions to stall the report of the Commission of Enquiry into Udecott and the local construction sector. “I have a duty to protect the public interest, and as long as blood flows through my veins, whatever the consequences may be, I am prepared to face (them) in order to ensure that this public wrong, which is continuing against the public, must be stopped,” he said.
“It has always been my position, that whether you hold the position of prime minister, minister, attorney general or whichever position you hold, if you betray the trust of the people to be corrupt and to use the funds of the public to enrich yourself and to deny the population of what is due to them, that is the most serious crime against humanity.” With more than 30 years of experience in the legal profession, Maharaj demanded that the Attorney General intervene today and instruct Udecott to withdraw its application for judicial review into the proceedings of the commission. “I would await the response and action of the Government,” Maharaj said. “They have a duty to do that, and if they do not do that, then you would hear what I would do, but I am giving them the opportunity to (do it).
“I shall take every step to protect the public interest in this matter if the Prime Minister and the Attorney General continue to ignore the public interest.” He said that consideration was being given to soliciting the assistance of the United Nations to engage in legal proceedings to tackle what he described as “a case of corruption interwoven with governance and the politics of governance.” He said that it would create what he referred to as “an international situation where the entire world would know that we are hosting a Commonwealth Prime Ministers’ Conference to promote the principles of good governance to fight corruption in public office, but the Prime minister who is hosting that conference is allowing a state-run corporation to prevent an independent investigation of billions of dollars.”
I was a member of the Urban
I was a member of the Urban Development Commission of Barbados which is owned by the govt of Barbados and the duty of the board is to comply with the policies of the Cabinet . What secrets are Calder Hart holding for the Prime Minister ??? It is unheard of in the Caribbean where a govt owned entity takes legal action against the said govt . Dr. Rowley was fired from the cabinet because he did not know that Calder Hart had more power than him , even-though , he was the line minister for UDeCOTT . Sen. Dick-Forde , who is now the line minister for UDeCOTT has agreed with the board and the Attorney General in this matter . One can only conclude that Calder Hart is the 3rd most powerful man in "Sweet T&T" . AG John Jeremie is the principal legal officer in T&T and under normal circumstances , the UDeCOTT board would have sought his advice and adhere to it ; but these are silly times and the clown, Calder Hart is doing his thing .
ATW - Barbados .
And ask yourself, Why? Mr
And ask yourself, Why? Mr Wiggins, that this COE took off without first step being conducted, the groundwork of sytems: the publication in the gazette. It is a set up, but then I dont understand why all our legal brains in the COE and Prof Uff did not go through the check list, checking the boxes that, it was essential the publication in the gazette, why? So you see it was doomed to stalemate from the start, Maybe collusions from inner chambers," this is how to stop this thing, non gazetted, a law to nullify that point, Udecott filing injunction, then its dead" people get off scot-free. You see the reverse side had a checklist to work with but the Prof Uff team did not have a checklist, What a right waste of time.
Wiggins, you see you can
Wiggins, you see you can present intelligent commentary when you put your heart into it. You presented a compelling argument today. But there is one point I wsih to argue with you on and that is the ranking of Mr. Hart as the #3 most powerful man in T&T. He could be the #1, or even #2 man. We can put the names in a hat and pull ballots at this point, but will never know until the dust is cleared, if and when it is. Until then the Ranking will simply be a guess.
Have a good day on Monday.
Gardenia
Why all the debate about Mr
Why all the debate about Mr Hart's rank in sweet T&T?
It is clear to one and all he's number two.
brb, I have to go and see a man about a puppy...
http://dsaltsman.blogspot.com/
I agree with this
I agree with this commentator. Mr Hart is indeed number two.
Great blag as well.
Sorry to disagree. Hart is
Sorry to disagree. Hart is numero uno, as I've said before.
All of you wrong. Mr Big is
All of you wrong. Mr Big is #1, the Canadian is #2, the Professor is #3 and Uncle Lenny is #4. Now stop arguing and let's discuss this like men, over a drink.
There is no #1, #2, #3 This
There is no #1, #2, #3
This is a free for all. It's a grab and go government. The winner gets the most of the peoples money.
Mr. Ramesh L. Maharaj:
Mr. Ramesh L. Maharaj: -
You. Sir, are the legal expert with the 30 plus years in this profession. You claim that you have the interest of the people as your utmost priority, and we would like to hold you to this promise, and we do not do so lightly.
You have given notice to the A.G. Jeremie to intervene with UDeCOTT, and failing this you would take the steps you deem to be necessary to protect the interests of the people of T&T. This is a noble gesture that you have handed down to our poeple. We will be watching the progress you will be making along the way.
There comes a time in a man's life when he is faced with challenges: He can either face them or run from them. You, Sir, have undertaken the task of facing your 'demons' in your fight to protect the rights of your people and country.
Thank you for stepping up to the plate.
***
"LIFE IS BUT A PLAYGROUND
No one can die.
None can be degraded forever;
Life is but a playground,
however gross the play may be.
However, we may receive blows
and however knocked about we may be,
the soul is there, and is never injured.
We are that Infinite."
......................(Vivekananda)
Good day to you Champ. The
Good day to you Champ.
The ex-AG declares:the Attorney General (John Jeremie) should know that I know the functions of an attorney general. I may not be as good as him, but I know the functions of an attorney general.” And just how did he make the comparison and come to this conclusion?
But it's good to see him join battle with the forces of evil. However, as a good lawyer, I'd have expected him to indicate a deadline by which time if the requested compliance is not forthcoming action would be taken to ensure such compliance. Further the proposed line of action would also be outlined. And serving of such legal notices are usually done in writing. Anything otherwise is just hot air to gain attention as seen in similar past pronouncements.
Let's hope this time it's serious. Seeing is believing, as they say.
To PM Manning: "If you once
To PM Manning: "If you once forfeit the confidence of your fellow citizens, you can never regain their respect and esteem. It is true that you may fool all of the people some of the time; you can even fool some of the people all of the time; but you can't fool all of the people all of the time" (Abraham Lincoln).
God Speed to all those who would fight and oppose dictatorship and wrong doing...it's time to start developing the mindset and convictions to make right the wrongs in this society. It's time to rescue Trinidad and Tobago from it's present path of destruction.
All Ah We Tief. Those were
All Ah We Tief. Those were the words of former PNM cabinet minister Desmond Cartey some three decades ago. The reason he could say that is because TnT has a culture of corruption which is accepted. Successive governments have survived corruption accusations because the party and supporters in power always point to the last government and argue who tief more. Corruption in Tnt is akin to termites in a wood building. If you get rid of them the building will collapse.
It is true that corruption
It is true that corruption is part of the culture of TnT. However, nothing changes without some concerted effort, and the public should not roll over and 'play dead' on this one.
We intend to hold Mr. Maharaj accountable to his word. Whatever else he might be, he is indeed a brilliant lawyer, who, despite what he says is likely up to par with the current AG.
It is time to get rid of both the termites (corruption) and the foundation on which they stand. In such a small country, there is just too much at stake to continue with 'business as usual'. Let's face it, at the end of the day it's John Public who is paying for the impact of corruption on the national coffers.
Agreed!
Agreed!
the public should not roll over and 'play dead' on this one.
We should also not roll over and 'play dead' on a) all the other $200bn projects; b) the projects that have no end date (Brian Lara Stadium); c) projects that keep incurring additional costs even when they are grossly and obesely over budget (Prime Minister Residence).
Because our 'fore'fathers may have let the previous governments get away with it, a) it does not make it (the corruption) right; and b) mean that we too must roll over and 'play dead'. Domestic violence on a grand scale!
La Diva
And La Diva: Do you know
And La Diva: Do you know Lawrence and I were in the same class when we graduated from Naparima. So do you think I am brilliant too? Go Naps go!! lets get 'em tiger. Time to chuck THIS PNM govt out and do you know Manning was in our class too, and I worked with Manning's dad at Texaco? small world eh?
Thanks for the info. All
Thanks for the info. All this time I thought Manning passed through the doors of Presentation. Do you remember him in his sister's shalopain blouse which he boasted about having to wear to school?
We are all trying to erase
We are all trying to erase that from our memories and now you go and bring it up again.
I'll be laughing all day now as I imagine an "Steve Urkle" like character in a dress going to school.
I wonder if he's punishing us all for this act that his mother did to him so long ago.
"Did I Do That?"
Yeah; he must have
Yeah; he must have flashbacks of all the fatigue the fellas must have given him. So now never see come see reach where he never expected, is we getting the backlash and paying for it through the nose. The man badly in need of some psychiatric help to get rid of the past and to come to terms with the reality.
Eric Williams whom I greatly admired for his intellect had a similar problem as he confessed in his "Inward Hunger". But at least he seemed to be able to deal with it eventually. In the end he committed "altruistic suicide" as Prof Anthony Maingot described his demise. This man with so much pride and dignity was forced to hide in an ambulance to get out of Parliament as throngs of workers, nurses, teachers etc were on the march. He was not a corrupt man in the narrow sense of the word, but it was the corruption around him that virtually killed him, the real Father of the Nation. He just couldn't take the perceived ingratitude. And the sycophants around him just couldn't be bothered to lift a finger. He was left bloating under a blanket.
In 1971 when he won all 36 seats thanks to Robbie and his no-vote campaign when he realised no Tobago seat for DAC/ACDC or whatever the name was, Williams could have done whatever he wanted with the Constitution, even appointing himself PM for life. But deep down he really cared for his country & people, though misguided at times. Seeing the bold-faced tendencies of the usurper Father of the Nation, would you trust this one with the kind of powers he is seeking?
Des, manning went to Pres.
Des, manning went to Pres. Panday also went there too.
COMMENDABLE EFFORT BUT
COMMENDABLE EFFORT BUT -
But this would be a lot more effective under the umbrella of a united opposition. UNC, COP and RAMJACK are all on the same page here, but there are only scatter shots being fired. What is needed is a full blast, united effort. Everyone is still trying to outdo each other, a kind of I man thing. From a strategic point of view the effort is still lacking.
Band launching start. How
Band launching start. How do you get a united effort against corruption from a people who lurch from carnival to carnival, from one band launching to the next. Trinbagonians pay lip service to erasing corruption in government because they are bombarded every weekend with some type of function that requires drinking and wining. Meanwhile their governments are wining on them. Miami carnival anyone?
JT, I like you: I have been
JT, I like you: I have been saying all along and on the TT on line blogs which I have discarded now as they are nuts on it and the moderators are nuts also that the TT have not got a backbone. I get hit over the head on TTonline blogs for saying this: Guardian commentary as this is, is far better and far more intelligent people on this, than TT on line blogs, so here we are JT, exactly how do we do this? You cant do this organising on the Guardian commentary blogs? I just dont know, how do you get the people together to seek justice and fairness? It cant be done. You have to do as what they are doing for the Alley smelter, get a movement going.
Agreed, but last time there
Agreed, but last time there was a collection of parties before the last election, when asked who the Leader was, they gave some kind of unsaleable answer about some kind of committee and the leadership would be decided down the road. Not many people bought into that concept of leadership, quite naturally. As soon as the election was over, a mad scramble for power was unleashed, with everybody cussing one another. If you are going to have another party of parties, the leadership issue must be settled early on. Lloyd Best was correct in his assessment of the "pick-up side" in 1986 and kept some distance. We don't want a repeat of the indicipline and autocracy of 1986/1987 which led to the destruction of the dream of "one love", one Nation, one people and a power vacuum in which a group of terrorists saw opportunity to move in in 1990. We must build something of solid foundations to last. No screw driver architecture, please.
There is no one answer. But
There is no one answer. But I can tell you if oil prices drop precipitously and government is unable to waste taxpayers money the way it is being spent now, people will pay attention. Then some progressive economist will have to demonstrate the link between waste, corruption, fraud and high taxes in Trinidad. Make no mistake, everyone, PNMites included, pay through taxes for those sinful, immoral, and illegal behaviors. Everyone, including PNMites pay through taxes for the incompetence of their government. Every court awarded judgment against the government is paid for by taxpayers (Louis Lee Sing take note). It is only when that drumbeat is heard by taxpaying Trinis, will they step up and demand their government clean up the mess. I refuse to believe a people can know that they are the ones who pay for the incompetence and corruption within their government and consciously support it.
Well said JT - no beating
Well said JT - no beating around the bush here.
Reality check - or should I say reality cheque? - pay through the nose! (Gardenia)
The Prince, I see that
The Prince, I see that someone left the barn door wide opened while I was gone??
After the week-end of handling serious stuff, concerns and headaches, depression and who knows what else over this chaos in T&T, it was a good exercise in 'stress release' for all, I am sure.
Like Animal Farm you all went wild ... That's a good thing.
I think I will remain an on-looker when this gang is making merry!
SERIOUS business:- As angry as we are, and demand change, we have to watch everyone's move ... to the front of the line ...
Right now what we are seeing is similar to 'brain storming', throwing out of ideas; everyone having a say; and I hope and pray that everything will come together in a responsible and civilised fashion soon. We as a people, get angry and sometimes cannot control our anger. But I would like to think that we have learned valauable lessons from the past, and can use this experience to guide us in making the right decisions.
You read my lst blog at the top. That verse was not meant only for Ramesh, but all of us. Like your man Sisyphus, we will keep going, over and over again until we get it to an acceptable standard for all. Don't think we will have to do this till eternity though?
Up top you asked about Ramesh's time-line ... All things being equal he may be able to set dates and time, but as things are at present, I don't think that even he can set them - he may have some idea, but not responsible enough to put out in the public arena. He would have to go one step at a time, always keeping his eyes on the 'pot of gold' at the end of the rainbow/journey.
This current Administration seems to need no help to 'self-destruct'. They have been doing a 'marvelous/mash-up' job in that 'Freemasonic' clique of theirs.
Yesterday, I had a relapse, but I think I am back to normal today. Got up hungry, but I decided to have my mug of coffee first, then B/F.
Communication is essential; and while you are joshing with each other you are getting your point across, while at the same time having some fun, and releasing some of the stress and anger. It is essential.
Have a nice day, my friend.
Gardenia
Gardenia, sorry to see you
Gardenia, sorry to see you had a relapse. Please don't let what is happening in Wonderland get you down. This can lead to weakening of the immune system and a host of related problems. So please take things in stride. We can't afford to lose our valued talisman at this stage.
My impatience with Ramesh is that he has been making similar promises in the past but not putting the money where his mouth. Over the weekend, I did say he can play a prominent role in organising and mobilising. There is no doubt the man has ability , drive and energy and has made some important contributions in the past. But he also created a lot of mischief and confusion, not that his leader and some of the rat pack did not deserve it. But to have credibility, you must operate with professionalism and good value systems, otherwise your behaviour and actions return to haunt you.
Unlike what he claims, make no mistake Ramesh, Jack and others are after power. We know how easy it is for man to let power to go to their head and it happens at all levels. When Ramesh became AG, he even wanted Gov't to agree for him to fly an officia flag on his car, a new trapping to the Office of AG.
Just restricting ourselves to former PMs in recent years you saw the behaviour of Manning, Robinson, Panday and Manning once more, this time worse yet. The only PM we had who did not let power go to his head was Chambers, and don't be fooled. They said he was donsee but he was a very intelligent man. I had dealings with the lot of them and I put Chambers right up front as a people's PM. His unassuming personality caused people to take advantage over him; that was his weakness. After the previous oil boom ended, Chambers tried to tell the people the fete done, back to work, but they just laughed at him and workers, including civil servants continued to demand big increases in salaries with no accompanying productivity. When Robbie took over, he cut everybody's salary and stopped their annual increments and not a boo.
History has a way of repeating itself. Nobody seems to be listening until it's too late. Now the money done or gone again, and you can see the 30 year cycle of 1970 and 1990 coming to a theatre near you in 2010. All you need is someone to light a match under this powder keg and the place will blow right up. But it's not too late if we can get a modern-day Hercules to clean out the augean stables. So you think your friend Ramesh is up to the task?
Do I think he is up to the
Do I think he is up to the task?
You mean the task he says he will be undertaking? Or aiming to become the head honcho .. chief cook and bottle washer? Time will tell .. it's a wait and see.
As a novice into this type of 'hollaballoo', I have already made a decision to assess everything, and everyone carefully before I give my stamp of approval. So this is not even on my drawing board. Like I mentioned above 'moving to the front of the line ...' and you impressed upon this for 'power' is an important fact to keep both eye on. The bullies attempt to intimidate the not-so-bullies and move to the front of the line ... that does not mean they are the best berrie in the bunch, and this is what we have to pay very careful attention to.
This chaos bugs me, but it is not the reason for my setback. I felt I was over the virus and over-did it, just human nature, and it sent a message back to remind me that after all I am only 'human'. Hard lesson to learn, but why should I always have to follow the wise. It's no fun.
Gardenia
Gardenia, I'm sure that with
Gardenia, I'm sure that with your perspicacity and 20/20 vision you would have readily discerned that the task refers to the one at hand, viz. The runaway gravy juggernaut Youdecut (your cut, my cut all ah we cut). But you did promise pay-back time.
You a "novice"? I am confident you are ably qualified with your probing and analytical mind to undertake the enquiry into this whole rotten business single-handedly, by yourself. I am minded to recommend you to Mad Max and Mannish Manning for the job, now that Uff has had enough. I know that you are able, but are you willing?
I see you have total comprehension of how these practising disciples of Niccolo Machiavelli operate. But please don't confuse that Prince with this Prince.
Hope you succeed in conquering and slaughtering that pernicious virus that seems hell-bent on wanting to banish you to Hades.
The Genuine Prince.
Sorry to throw this spanner
Sorry to throw this spanner in the works!
Are we to really believe that Ramesh is picking up this quest to look after our interest or does he see this mission as a means of redeeming himself from the quagmire of his various unsuccessful bids for political power?
Any thoughts?
Are we to be happy he's looking after this for us and when it's time to "pay up" he throws another of his tantrums?
Don't lose sight of Ramesh's past tantrums and his defence of Abu Bakr. Where was he when the TTT and Parliament were invaded? Remind me again, please pretty please.