http://www.tntmirror.com/2012/02/10/govt-sex-ringState official providing ‘escort service’ to big wigs
OFFICIALS at the Public Transport Service Corporation have complained to Transport Minister Devant Maharaj over the use of the PTSC’s facilities by a senior State official to facilitate a prostitution ring.
The prostitution ring, which masquerades as an ‘escort service’, is said to have as clientele State board officials and even government ministers, according to well-placed sources.
The ‘escort service’, which provides mainly Colombian nationals to its wealthy clientele, is said to operate from a Port of Spain hotel that has an established connection to Government’s tourism thrust.
The girls are offered to their clientele through a legitimate Facebook group popular with young United National Congress professionals and which holds regular after-work limes for its membership. The group is dominated by People’s Partnership supporters and officials.
The girls are provided to carefully selected pre-screened members during the gatherings.
The senior State official behind the escort service is a well-known operative of the UNC who has served at the parliamentary level and who was involved in an incident which required the attention of the police last year.
Mirror learnt that this official also provides “escorts” for bachelor parties and private gatherings for his clients.
The sources could not confirm whether the matter has been brought to the attention of Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar but no action has been taken against the official, who continues to hold significant positions in the State apparatus even as the matter is whispered about in Government circles.
UNC general secretary and advisor to the Prime Minister Dave Tancoo denied any knowledge of the surreptitious activity by his senior party members, but told TnT Mirror that he is aware of the Facebook group.
“I am aware of the group and I have been invited to a number of functions but I have never attended any. On some occasions, the invitation comes at very short notice, like one day in advance, so I have never attended.
“That is as much as I know, I don’t know anything about any escort service, nor do I know who is behind this Facebook group,” he said. Tancoo also denied reports that the matter was raised with him with the expectation that it would be brought to the attention of the Prime Minister.
Mirror checks revealed that the Facebook group was established after the PP government won office and was intended to target young UNC professionals, so that they could exchange information, network and socialise.
But, according to one source, “this was fine for a while but then people started falling off and there are those who were getting into all kinds of mischief, so anything is possible,” he said.
Transport Minister Maharaj, who has responsibility for PTSC, also denied any knowledge of this prostitution ring, involving Colombians, although officials insisted that information on the matter has been passed on to the Minister.
“I don’t know anything about it,” Maharaj said, adding that “nothing like that has ever been brought to my attention.”
He, however, made it clear that should he find any truth in the allegation, he would leave no stone unturned in getting to the bottom of the matter.
“I would take immediate action,” he said, adding: “I know the Prime Minister as a woman would not sanction anything like that.
“I will launch a full scale investigation at once,” he promised.
Maharaj said if there is any truth to the allegations, “I will not condone this.”
He said that the person whose name was being called in the alleged sex ring was someone he had the utmost respect for since that person had a good track record and had been involved in the politics for a long time.
“If any such information comes to me then I will investigate and bring it to some kind of conclusion,” he said.
