THE preliminary enquiry into allegations of misconduct by nine men, arising out of the construction of the Piarco International Airport, continued yesterday, with businessman Steve Ferguson cross-examining former internal auditor at the National Insurance Property Development Company Limited (NIPDEC), Simon Clement.

Ferguson, who has no formal training as an attorney but is representing himself, stepped into the Port of Spain First Magistrate’s Court with a cache of documents in hand to begin his cross-examination, which lasted for close to four and a half hours.

Clement was NIPDEC’s internal auditor during the time when the alleged misconduct was said to have occurred.

Ferguson; Ishwar Galbaransingh, chairman of Northern Construction Ltd; Amrith Maharaj, financial director of Northern Construction Ltd; Brian Kuei Tung, former finance and tourism minister; Sadiq Baksh, former works and transport minister; Tyrone Gopee and Ameer Edoo, former chairmen of the Airports Authority; Peter Cateau, former Ministry of Works client representative at the airport project; and Ronald Birk, an American businessman, are all facing fraud charges arising out of the project.

It is alleged that the men conspired to defraud the Airports Authority, Government and the public by falsely pretending that the award of contracts during the construction of the $1.6 billion Piarco Airport New Terminal Development Project was honest, competitive and fair.

Senior Magistrate Ejenny Espinet adjourned the matter to next week Tuesday, where Clement is expected to step back into the witness box for the continuation of the cross-examination.