PEOPLE’S National Movement (PNM) party chairman, Conrad Enill, says he cannot provide the answers as to why the directors of State enterprise Urban Development Corporation of Trinidad and Tobago (UDeCOTT), could not utilise their own funds to take on the State-appointed Commission of Enquiry into UDeCOTT and the construction sector.
He made the comment on Saturday, when asked specifically why UDeCOTT’s board was using State resources, as opposed to their own, to settle the issue of a ’perceived bias’ in relation to the Commission of Enquiry.
’That’s a very excellent question. However, the only person who can answer that is the line Minister, who is not present here,’ Enill said at a press conference following a PNM general council meeting at Balisier House, Port of Spain.
Many have said UDeCOTT’s decision to take legal action against the Commission of Enquiry flies in the face of the current PNM-led Government, which set the company up.
On September 18, UDeCOTT filed for judicial review of the Commission of Enquiry, seeking a declaration that the proceedings of the enquiry have been ’vitiated by bias’.
When asked to clarify how it was acceptable for such an enterprise to use State funds to file for judicial review against a commission sanctioned by the State, Enill said the question was one he could not answer and instead suggested that it be put to the line Minister for UDeCOTT, Emily Gaynor Dick-Forde, who is also Housing, Environment and Planning Minister.
He said from what he has heard, his colleague (Dick-Forde) had stated in the local media that the action UDeCOTT is proposing is ’very consistent with natural justice; it is available within the system’. He said the course of action was legal and available to the directors of the company.
UDeCOTT management has expressed dissatisfaction with what they have termed the ’biased’ nature of the enquiry.
On Friday, High Court judge, Justice Mira Dean-Armorer granted UDeCOTT the chance to file for judicial review in respect of several key decisions of the enquiry.
Enill said, however, that UDeCOTT’s action does not interfere with what the Government is doing in relation to the enquiry.
And he further stated, ’The Government is moving next week to deal with the legislation to correct that particular issue, so we are moving ahead with that.’
When asked if the general council was not concerned about the UDeCOTT issue, he said the UDeCOTT controversy was a Government matter.
He added, ’The party is not the Government.’
He maintained that the party was ’totally different from the Government’, and as such had no responsibility to address the matter.
