The findings of an audit into the million-dollar street-lighting project at the Trinidad and Tobago Electricity Commission (T&TEC) were forwarded to the offices of Attorney General John Jeremie and Auditor General Sharman Ottley. Public Utilities Minister Mustapha Abdul-Hamid made the disclosure at yesterday’s post-Cabinet news conference at the Diplomatic Centre in St Ann’s. Abdul-Hamid said the report was sent on October 2 to the Attorney General and the Auditor General to determine the guiltiness or improper conduct of officials in the street-lighting project. He said the report from the Central Audit Unit of the Ministry of Finance did not make a definitive position on the guiltiness or improper conduct from officials in the street-lighting project. Abdul-Hamid added it was outside of his portfolio to make such a determination. “With respect to the procedures, issues of procedures and compliance with tender rules, again the Auditor General’s Department is the most competent department to make that final determination,” he said.

“And so the report has been sent in its entirety, along with the comments of the management and board of T&TEC. All the comments have been sent to those respective offices.” Abdul-Hamid refuted allegations that the son of a senior member of Government was engaged in corrupt practices through the street-lighting project. “I did not see any evidence of that. I have had no information or evidence of that. “As far as I understand, from the knowledge that I have, that seems to be entirely a fabrication but, again, once the Attorney General examines the documents, if he is able to find something to that effect, then he will decide and proceed with it as is necessary but as far as I am concerned, I have not been able to identify any basis for that allegation whatsoever,” he said. Among the allegations of corruption that arose from T&TEC’s street-lighting project included the manipulation of contracts by a senior official of the company.