Tuesday February 9th, 2010
- Last update:12 hours 46 min ago
On award of contract to Sunway...
Imbert: Where are the family ties?
Published: 16 Oct 2009
Government Ministers, from left, Mariano Browne,
Colm Imbert, Emily Dick-Forde, Neil Parsanlal and
Joseph Ross discuss issues after yesterday’s
post-Cabinet news conference at the Diplomatic
Centre in St Ann’s. Photo: Keith Matthews
Works and Transport Minister Colm Imbert and Housing, Planning and the Environment Minister, Emily Gaynor Dick-Forde, both dismissed allegations of nepotism in the award of multi-million-dollar contracts to Sunway Construction Caribbean Limited, the firm linked to the wife of executive chairman of the Urban Development Corporation of Trinidad and Tobago Limited (Udecott), Calder Hart. “There is absolutely no evidence that the head of Sunway is the brother-in-law of Calder Hart. “Where did you get that information? Nobody has alleged that the head of Sunway is the brother-in-law of Mr Hart,” Imbert responded to questions at yesterday’s post-Cabinet news conference.
“The allegation that was made was that another company was formed for the purpose of submitting a tender and the contract was eventually awarded to Sunway.” Imbert added. It was alleged that a Sunway Construction Caribbean Limited affiliated-firm, CH Development and Construction Limited, listed its fax number as 624-8239, Hart’s former personal fax number. There also were claims that two of the firm’s officials were relatives of Hart’s wife, Sherrine. Imbert said Sunway was a large multi-national company. He said he had met the various directors of Sunway and was certain none of them were related to Hart.
His comments were echoed by Housing, Planning and the Environment Minister, Emily Gaynor Dicke-Forde, who said she had no problem with Sunway Construction Caribbean Limited receiving a $300 million contract to outfit the Legal Affairs Ministry. “They (Udecott) clearly showed that they went through a process in awarding that contract and I have no problems with it,” Dick-Forde said. She added: “And for the record, I do not believe a line minister should enter into matters that were tendered and a process that went through a board.” Dick-Forde was unable to respond to questions about the dates surrounding the award of the multi-million dollar contract to Sunway Construction Caribbean Limited.
THE WAGONS ARE CIRCLING
THE WAGONS ARE CIRCLING -
Defense, Defense, Defense. It is becoming clearer that there was no intention for this inquiry to be able to unearth anything about UDECOTT. It took decades and a change of government to be able to prosecute O'Halloran and Prevatt history is repeating itself. When the evidence was going too far a COUP changed the course of events and the PNM was resurrected. Is history about to repeat itself again?
BURY MIH IN TRINIDAD wen ah
BURY MIH IN TRINIDAD wen ah ded
It reminds me of the phrase, "singing for their supper". What a bunch of fools these people think we are! Imagine these "ministahs" coming before us and insulting our intelligence in such a brassfaced manner.
The evidence which came out of the Uff commision so far, duly sworn under oath, directly points to a family link and these people are just ignoring it? Not just ignoring it but also defending those the accusations are made against. The big question is why are they doing that. Some people are so shameless! Does the word nepotism mean anything to them? Then, if the PM could appont his wife as a minister (in spite of her still having breakfasses) then I guess any mark can play.
There seems to so much more in the mortar than just the pestle.
It doesn't matter what these
It doesn't matter what these ministers (especially the un-elected ones) say. You just have to drive a few minutes to see the evidence of corruption with your own two eyes. It doesn't matter if "X" is "Ys" brother in law or father in law or whatever! We can see the facts for ourselves. The buildings are there. The evidence is there standing tall in the hot sun for all to see. As I've said before we know who the bad guys are from the ghetto to Westmoorings and beyond. The country is too small to hide yet we the people party and vote for parties that take us for a party ride.
And its the perception Colm,
And its the perception Colm, Why would anyone want to give contracts to close family members without having questions asked? Where are the systems Colm that I keep asking about? Where are the rules and protocols which state that one cannot give contracts to family companies? And these ministers REALLY think that the TT public is stupid. TT public is a smart public, they are politically alert. They can see into a 6 for 9 type thing.
Caldera Hart have the
Caldera Hart have the present government chasing their tails in trying to explain and justify the nepotism and favourtism accorded UDECOTT in awarding "No bid" contracts. I don't fault you Mr. Hart for manipulating that clueless administration. Continue with your full press in bankrupting the treasury and then go after the 18 billion tt that is in the H&S Fund.
Imbert is taking advantage
Imbert is taking advantage of the ineptitude of local reporters.
The allegation is not that anyone in Sunway is related to the Harts.
The allegation is that the Brother In Law of Calder Hart was a principal in the company CH Construction which was ORIGINALLY awarded the contract.
To explain it in terms a layman could understand.
If you give a 1000 dollar project to a company called WeThief Construction where your family is involved, then that is WRONG. If WeThief Construction then signs Over the contract to WeBigAndLegitimate Construction, that is STILL WRONG.
There is more than just a Fax number involved. Sworn evidence was given by Carl Khan supporting the allegation. The Public has been prevented from hearing Mr. Khan's testimony by the Government of the country.
This is enough to warrant an investigation, and this allegation is what prompted the Prime Minister to setup the Commission of Enquiry when it was raised by Mr. Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj in the parliament.
For Mr. Imbert to pretend not to understand the question, is simply disingenuous.
For the Minister Dick-Forde to not have a problem with the award is incredible. 300 Million dollars is an obscene amount for the fit out of that building in today's market, so the project is grossly over budget. What is the reason for that?
-Mayet
Ministers pretending not to
Ministers pretending not to understand is indeed disingenious. It shows they are towing the party line. The evidence is there for all to see and assess.
The prior comments were right-on. It's not that Calder Hart is related to anyone in Sunway - it's the perception that the 'right hand' is supporting the 'left land' . Contracts are being awarded to companies which are not operating at arms-length, i.e. they are 'related' parties. Sunway should not be allowed to bid on any contracts to be awarded by UDECOTT. Even if Mr. Hart is not part of the bid process, there is still a perception of inappropriateness and the potential to influence the process.
And, this is no different to the PM appointing his wife to a paid Govt position (and therefore a lifetime pension). Government and its Companies cannot be run like a family business. When I last checked, that was called NEPOTISM. (Remember the outcry when Bill Clinton, while US President, appointed his wife as Health Care Czar)....
Denial and lack of transparency and accountability are leading to the destruction of any good Corporate Governance in this country.
The public takes its cues from Government behaviour and people say, 'what is good for them, is good for us'.
THIS IS IMBERT'S STYLE
THIS IS IMBERT'S STYLE -
Nincompoopish, he uses the same strategy in parliament, but here he is sometimes assisted by the presiding officer.
Why does the government keep
Why does the government keep on defending UDECOTT, if they know that they are so innocent then why waste our money to have a COE????
Ah wonder if anybody paying attention to what goin on in PuertoRico and if Trinis have the guts to do what they doing.
mayet has it just right.
mayet has it just right. There was deception in the initial award of the contract and when concerns were raised, a handover to another company followed. (Is that allowed? Sub-tendering? Even so the initial award remains in question!) If Minister Imbert cannot concede that AT MINIMUM the initial award was questionable and deserves at least investigation, then I would have great concerns about his integrity in office.
These Ministers are manipulating technicalities to extend cover to Mr Hart. We know that his family ties do not NOW extend to Sunway's board. We are not addressing the issue of now, we are addressing the issue of the initial award.
Mr Minister, most of us save our comments for personal conversations and choose not to write publicly. But the public are not fooled. Merely disgusted. Pray that one day the people don't say ENOUGH again. When you add this to people not being able to get regular water supply, crime out of control, agriculture and fishing legacies lost, and taxes going up and this kind of flippant disregard from the ruling party... Feels like a powder-keg to me.
We need to trust our leaders, and that they are acting in our best interests. Act the part nuh.
The time for Personal and
The time for Personal and private conversation has long passed.
To protect our democracy, and the future of our children those who can speak out and speak up need to do so now. There is no tomorrow.
The voices of both the proletariat and the bourgeoisie must be heard as one.
-Mayet
....yep, tricked by
....yep, tricked by cheapness, failing to get a new fax phone number during the hurried birth of Sunway so that they could be 'awarded' the contract...Ms. Dick will do as she is told...as for Colm, he brings to the table, an impressive list of construction failures....from stadia to retaining walls, his credibility is shot...so this is just a peep into the mentality of the Nation's Father.....
"Imbert: Malayasian Firm
"Imbert: Malayasian Firm Still To Reply...After allegations by Ramesh...dated Friday June 6, 2008..."
I ask the permission and beg to borrow the above, "in part and in reference" from the esteemed Political Editor of one of our leading T&T Newpaper...to use as a reminder and recollection to Colm Imbert...following his Post Cabinet news conference statements...made on Thursday June 5, 2008...for the benefit of our readers...!!
It goes on to state ...and I quote from the article..based on an post Cabinet news interview with COLM IMBERT:
..."Government is waiting on UDeCOTT and UdeCOTT is waiting on the Malayasian firm Sunway Construction for information before responding to the allegations made in Parliament by Opposition Chief Whip Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj.
...speaking at yesterday's post Cabinet news conference at Whitehall, Works Minister Colm Imbert said after Maharaj made his allegations, Government asked UdeCOTT to respond.
...Maharaj had alleged that UDeCOTT awarded the $368 million contract for for the Legal Affairs Towers to CH Development, a company which had as its shareholders the two brothers-in-law of UDeCOTT boss, Calder hart. He also alleged that CH Development, which later changed its name to Sunway Construction, was established a mere three weeks before it was invitied by UDeCOTT to bid on the project..."
..."he (Colm Imbert)stressed that UDeCOTT had to rely on information supplied to it by Sunway and was awaiting Sunway's detailed written account of the facts. Imbert said the records relating to the award of this contract had to be cross-referenced with the records of Sunway. "I (Colm Imbert) can tell you that at my level I have been liaising with the company in order to get the information as quickly as possible but the position adopted-which I think is quite right, even though the absence of a response gives rise to speculation-is that the company wants to be very careful and absolutely certain of the accuracy of the response."
...He added:" I am reasonably confident that that exercise would be completed by the end of this week and a response would be made, treating with each one of the allegations made by Maharaj. But the reason why there wasn't an immediate, knee-jerk type of response was that the foreign company in question, Sunway, wanted to be very careful. Sunway is a publicly limited company in Malaysia...it is listed on the Stock Exchange and it has to answer to its shareholders and therefore when its making public statements it has a certain protocol that it has to follow in terms of getting the necessary approvals and authorisation from its shareholders and board of directors."..end of quote...!
...so my question to Colm Imbert...!
...DE END OF DE WEEK COME AND GONE HOW MANY TIMES???... and after some seventeen(17) MONTHS (not weeks but MONTHS???)...I would assume that UDeCOTT has received the information for Sunway in Malaysia...and that the Government has in turn has received the information THE GOVERNMENT was waiting to get from UDeCOTT...???
...so please tell us Colm Imbert you got the information...please...!
...and also: WHAT DID THE INFORMATION FROM SUNWAY TELL UDECOTT AND, VIA THAT, WHAT DID UDECOTT IN TURN,TELL THE GOVERNMENT...AND WHEN...???
...ah waiting Colm, over to you...!
...an doh forget..we all gettin' older by the day...and now ah next Christmas comin' and goin'again...the second one...so yuh tink we go hear from yuh by den...at least before "cock get teeth"...or he wind up on the dinner table first...?!
Goodluck...!
Trini.t.o.o
For such a large sum of
For such a large sum of money , 368 million dollars , why were firms invited to bid for the contract , rather than submit tenders ??? CH Development , is the "CH" the initials of Calder Hart , chairman of UDeCOTT ?? What about the fax number , was it listed to Calder Hart and why did CH Development changed it's name to Sunway Construction ??????
The TRUTH is a mighty sword .
ATW-Barbados .
The reporters need to probe
The reporters need to probe a bit deeper and do their homework to ask the right questions. Sunway Principals may or may not be brothers-in-law of Hart. But what are their relationships with Sherrine Hart and what are the threads linking her to Sunway? Guardian's reporters need to investigate beforehand and then ask the right, searching questions and not let the likes of Imbert & co. bamboozle them.
Nobody believes this
Nobody believes this Government anymore except maybe the sycophants and feeders at the trough.Many believe the country is being run by con men and parasites.Soon the foreign con men and parasites will run out of this country ,because the money drying up and leave the local ones holding the bag before a very angry population
Minister Emily Dick-Forde is
Minister Emily Dick-Forde is implying that the UDeCOTT board of directors are free to do whatever they care to do and she does not even have the power of over-sight , eventhough , she is the line minister . What a powerful man is Calder Hart , even the line minister must fear him . The line minister , Dick-Forde , should be answering to Cabinet and the Parliament on matters pertaining to UDeCOTT .
ATW-Barbados .