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Attorney Devesh Maharaj is now wearing different hats at the Chaguaramas Development Authority (CDA). Official documents obtained by Sunday Guardian revealed that Maharaj’s law firm—Devesh Maharaj & Associates—which is representing CDA in several legal matters, is also being paid a monthly fee of $15,000 to provide full-time corporate/legal services to the CDA.
Financial statements reveal that to date $75,000 has been paid to the law firm for the corporate/legal fees services. This represents the sum paid to the law firm apart from legal fees incurred by CDA for representation in several matters.
Sunday Guardian learnt that an attorney, formerly employed at Maharaj’s law firm at Mansfield Chambers, Abercromby Street, Port- of-Spain, has been acting as the CDA’s corporate secretary for the past five months, replacing Andrew Rahaman who resigned after just a few months on the job.
Investigations further revealed that the board has not yet approved the acting appointment. A resolution was due to be passed on March 30, appointing the young attorney corporate secretary of CDA but that meeting has been rescheduled to a date to be announced.
Chairman Daniel Solomon heads the CDA board. Solomon and Maharaj both operate from Mansfield Chambers. Several attempts to contact Maharaj for comment were futile. When contacted, Solomon referred questions to CDA’s public relations officer Peter Campbell.
Acting corporate secretary: ‘I do not get $15,000’
Contacted yesterday, the young attorney, who was admitted to the Bar one year ago, confirmed that she was previously employed at Maharaj’s law firm before assuming the position of acting corporate secretary at CDA. Admitting that she has not signed a contract with CDA to date, the attorney asked: “For the position of corporate secretary I am being paid a $15,000 salary?”
She added: “I can surely inform you without a doubt that on a monthly basis the cheque which is deposited into my account is not anywhere near $15,000. This I can support with my payslip if you want. “I wish I were collecting $15,000 a month. I applied for the job either mid or at the end of December and submitted my resume and supporting documents to the human resources committee. Thus far I am not sure of the board’s position in respect to the corporate secretary position.
“No, I have not signed any contract with the CDA to date but I applied independently from the chambers I came from for the position of corporate secretary.” Asked to explain how she came to be acting as CDA’s corporate secretary, the hesitant attorney referred all questions to Maharaj: “I came from the chambers of Devesh Maharaj & Associates so usually this would be referred to as a secondment.
To be honest, I think the finance manager perhaps would be able to inform you better of the arrangement between CDA and chambers that I came from.”
Bhoe: If there is a problem I will deal with it
Contacted yesterday, Planning and Economy Minister Bhoe Tewarie under whose purview CDA falls said: “I am not familiar with the issue. I try to keep an arm’s length with my boards and I work through the chairman, but if there is a problem that needs to be attended to I would make sure that it is attended to.”
CDA responds
CDA’s PR officer Peter Campbell said in a release the corporate secretary resigned abruptly late last year and an emergency request was made to Devesh Maharaj & Associates to provide those services for an interim period of three months. The firm complied with the request. Following the end of the three-month period, CDA requested additional time, as they had not yet completed interviews.
CDA has retained a recruitment agency and interviews have been completed with names of candidates supplied by the agency. A note was to be taken at the last Board meeting, which was to be held on April 2, for the appointment of a corporate secretary. However, the majority of the Board members did not attend so this has been deferred to the next Board meeting.
According to the CDA release, March 30 was the acting corporate secretary’s last day on the job and a further request was made for her to continue to act until the next Board meeting. Campbell said Devesh Maharaj & Associates was one of the law firms unanimously approved at a Board meeting as an addition to the CDA panel of attorneys. The chairman of the Board recused himself from that decision.
He explained that over the last 13 months the law firms have been assigned an extensive amount of legal work as the CDA seeks to regularise tenants and collect arrears of rent. Devesh Maharaj & Associates has incurred some of the lowest legal costs to date.
The CDA spokesman said no director has raised any issue concerning any conflict of interest and the Authority is of the view there is none. He said at the Board’s Legal and Leasing committee meeting on February 13, which the majority of Board members attended, the committee expressed their satisfaction with the services provided.
“The Authority wants to state it continues to conduct all its business operations with transparency and accountability in the public domain and remains committed to sound business practices and ethics,” Campbell said.
rfari wrote:ur family and fren eating ah food now as yuh in government. aite. Buh is some dunceyhead people they giving these responsibilities that does kill it. Ohgoar. At least make sure that the people good at what they do nah?
Cabinet colleagues out to get me, says Volney
Published: Friday, September 14, 2012
Anika Gumbs-Sandiford
Minister of Justice Herbert Volney has charged that some of his Cabinet colleagues are out to get him. Describing them as “mischief-makers”, bent on tarnishing his name, Volney said he had no intention of resigning but was upset at the latest turn of events. He spoke to the T&T Guardian as controversy continues to rage about Section 34 of the Administration of Justice (Indictable Proceedings) Act 2011 which the House of Representatives voted to repeal in a special session on Wednesday. Fingers have been pointed at Attorney General Anand Ramlogan and Volney over the proclamation of the act, which had the effect of clearing the way for businessmen Ish Galbaransingh and Steve Ferguson to be freed of fraud charges arising out of the Piarco Airport project.
Volney said yesterday: “I know a lot of people want the St Joseph seat. My own colleagues are out to get me. “I know one in particular who has always been on a turf war with me. They have their own political agenda but these things happen in politics. “There are some who feel threatened by me but I am not threatened by them. I came into politics to serve not for personal gain. “If at the end of my term the people of St Joseph want me to return, I will consider returning. I was elected. I was not given a position.” In warning his Cabinet detractors, Volney said: “I have heard some stories that I do not want to believe. I want to say that I am not a money-in-bag minister. “I do not take five and ten per cent cutback in legal fees. My ministry does not have those ties. I took full responsibility for everything. “I explained what and why it happened. No one could dispute anything I said. I challenge anyone to prove otherwise.”
Insisting he did no wrong, Volney said he had no intention of resigning. Describing the move to undermine him as “pure mischief,” Volney added: “You have to work to earn an electoral seat. If they want my job they have to take it from me. I have no intention of giving them my job. “First of all, you have to know the requirements of the job before you get ambitious and take God out of their minds.” Dismissing claims he benefited from an alleged conspiracy to rush the legislation, Volney said copies of his bank records could prove otherwise. He said: “I can show my bank account. I took out a mortgage. I am paying out of my nose to maintain my mortgage for my house in St Joseph.”
http://www.guardian.co.tt/news/2012-09- ... ays-volney
I suspect Anand Ramlogan is a good man to investigate this, he should have some experience in dealing with this type of corruption 
rollingstock wrote:^ Allyuh feel Volney now come in this game or wha?
Listened to Dale and Toney this morning?
Suit seeks $11m from ex-board members
'Misuse of UTT funds'
Story Created: Sep 15, 2012 at 10:56 PM ECT
Story Updated: Sep 15, 2012 at 10:56 PM ECT
THE University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT) is seeking close to $11 million from its former board of directors for breach of fiduciary duty with regard to a lease of the Aripo Guest House.
Those directors are Kenneth Julien, Dr Rene Monteil, Giselle Marfleet, Scott Hilton-Clarke, Ravindranath Maharaj, Lincoln Warner and Errol Pilgrim.
In legal action filed in the High Court last Friday, the UTT claims the directors failed to exercise skill, care and diligence in the management of the university's affairs with regard of the guest house even after they were made aware of a report which advised that they discontinue the lease.
It is also seeking damages of $126,393 from Prof Julien, "arising out of his breach of his duty to act honestly and in good faith" by allowing Juliana Pena and a companion to reside at the Aripo Guest House as his personal guests and giving instructions that she be charged staff rates.
Pena has previously been described as former prime minister Patrick Manning's spiritual adviser.
The statement of case, which lists Gerald Ramdeen as UTT's advocate attorney and Varun Debideen as instructing attorney, explained that on December 5, 2005, the executive committee of the UTT agreed in principle to lease the Aripo Guest House for a period of five years.
The monthly rental would be $50,000 and the total cost of the lease would amount to $8,420,000 (it comprises annual operating costs of 1,020,000 a year and a capital expenditure of $1,020,000).
The board was subsequently advised by its then corporate legal adviser Celeste Mohammed that UTT was in fact a sub-lessor of the property and that the lease should be terminated.
The statement of case contends that despite being made aware of this report, the board did not act on the advice.
UTT is also seeking money it claims it is owed from Julien for his decision to accommodate Pena and her companion from December 2007 to October 2008.
UTT stated that there was no board resolution approving UTT rates for Pena and her companion nor was their evidence that they provided services for UTT.
UTT argued that Pena and her companion should have been invoiced at visitor rates and is seeking the sums owed to it.
The statement of case states that UTT has suffered a loss of $126,393.
In addition to its $11 million claim, UTT is seeking interest at a rate to be determined by the Court from February 2006 until the date of judgment.
Attorney General Anand Ramlogan, who has been actively pursuing audits into several State enterprises, told the Sunday Express by phone yesterday: "UTT was a virtual cash cow and there was a lot of wasted expenditure of the public money. It is important that these matters such as neglect and maladministration be pursued in the public interest and I intend to vigorously pursue the UTT, Petrotrin, e-TecK and soon to come, T&TEC."
http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/Sui ... 26376.html
Govt official under FIU probe
...after spate of property buys
At least one senior government official and an attorney have come under the microscope of the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU). The duo, sources said, have been purchasing commercial and residential properties located in the western, southern and northern parts of the country. Information reaching the FIU is that some of the properties are being transferred to the attorney’s name, as well as the official’s wife.
The properties—worth millions—have been classed as prime property and paid for in cash. Of concern to the FIU, sources said, are the shell companies being incorporated to purchase the properties which lists the official, his wife and two other attorneys as directors. One of the attorneys is the son of a businessman and has appeared in several sittings of an ongoing financial inquiry.
The most recent residential purchase was made two months ago in the Fairways, Maraval district, where a condominium was bought, while a commercial building was also purchased in the St Clair area. Sources said a dossier of documents including copies of the deeds to the above listed properties, as well as other properties have been submitted to the FIU.
It was only on Thursday, that Justice Minister Herbert Volney told the T&T Guardian in an interview: “I have heard some stories that I do not want to believe. I want to say that I am not a money-in-bag minister.” Volney was responding to comments made over the proclamation about Section 34 of the Administration of Justice (Indictable Proceedings) Act 2011 which the House of Representatives voted to repeal in a special sitting on Wednesday.
The intelligence unit is headed by Susan Francois, while Nigel Stoddard is the deputy director of the unit. In August, Attorney General Anand Ramlogan said that 300 reports involving suspicious-activity transactions were made to the FIU. He was speaking in the Senate on the Miscellaneous Provisions (Financial Intelligence Unit of Trinidad and Tobago and Anti-Terrorism) Bill 2012.
When Sunday Guardian contacted the FIU, we were told to e-mail the questions. One of the questions asked was whether Government officials were among the reports lodged. The FIU declined to comment, saying such information was confidential. “The subject of a suspicious transaction/activity reports (STR/SAR) is confidential information.
“The FIU officers can neither disclose such information, nor disclose whether the FIU has recommended an investigation or that an investigation has commenced. Such disclosure would be a breach of Sections 21 and 24 of the FIU Act. For breach of those provisions a FIU officer faces the penalty of a fine of $250,000 and three years’ imprisonment.”
Quizzed on whether the FIU informs individuals they were the subject of a probe, FIU said its officers “can neither disclose such information nor disclose whether the FIU has recommended an investigation or that an investigation has commenced.”
Reports filed/resolved
Stating that it does not possess investigative powers, but merely gathers information from various sources and produces intelligence which is then submitted to law enforcement to aid in their investigations, the FIU said they received 303 STR/SAR in 2011. Of this number, 16 intelligence reports were disseminated to law enforcement agencies for investigation, while 71 were filed for intelligence purposes and 219 are “subject to ongoing analysis.”
Reports, it was stated, can be made by financial institutions—banks, insurance, investment, mortgage, security dealers and co-operative societies, as well as listed business sectors—attorneys, motor vehicle dealers, accountants, private members clubs and real estate among others.
FIU said their function was mainly administrative and investigation into possible criminal conduct “is a responsibility of the law enforcement and prosecution is a matter for the DPP’s office.” Explaining that the STRs/SARs received are prioritised on a risk assessment basis. Of the STRs/SARs received for 2011, the FIU resolved 84.
Time frame for probe
The time taken to analyse the information received varies depending on the nature of the information received, the complexity of the matter being analysed, if information is required from other sources, and the need to wait on information from local and foreign sources. When analysing information the FIU said it can and does liaise with “both local and foreign law enforcement agencies.”
Suspicious activity
A STR/SAR filed with the FIU is a report of a belief held by the reporting entity that the transaction being conducted was suspicious (whether the transaction is completed or not). The money value of the suspicious transaction, whether completed or attempted, is recorded on the STR/SAR. The total monetary value of the suspicious transactions reported on STR/SAR for 2011 amounted to approximately $569 million.
On the issue of staff and resources, FIU said the Ministry of Finance and the Economy has ensured that this process is almost completed as all positions have been advertised in the newspapers, on the FIU Web site and on the Government Human Resources Web site. “Applications have been received and interviews conducted and successful candidates have already been appointed. There are a few more interviews to be conducted which would see the FIU at the established strength,” the agency stated.
UML wrote:Suit seeks $11m from ex-board members
'Misuse of UTT funds'
http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/Sui ... 26376.html
bluefete wrote:I am just surprise that no one is targetting the PM. She is a lawyer. She is the head of government.
She MUST have known about the changes made and when Sec. 34 was being sent to the Prez for proclamation.
Anand and Volney would not take it upon themselves just so to send Sec. 34 to the Prez.
Also, I hear the entire cabinet agreed to send Sec.34 to the Prez.
I hear, eh.
rfari wrote:bluefete wrote:I am just surprise that no one is targetting the PM. She is a lawyer. She is the head of government.
She MUST have known about the changes made and when Sec. 34 was being sent to the Prez for proclamation.
Anand and Volney would not take it upon themselves just so to send Sec. 34 to the Prez.
Also, I hear the entire cabinet agreed to send Sec.34 to the Prez.
I hear, eh.
The prime minister has the final call on proposed legislation after it is brought to the cabinet and before it is sent to the president. So obviously she knew about it.
The pm hasn't said a word on the matter afaik. The pp party model is based on protecting the leader at all cost so that regardless of the fiasco, she stands clear and any member that brings the party into 'disrepute' is cut off. Keep the core 'pure'. Similar model to what pnm used prior to the udecott controversy
bluefete wrote:rfari wrote:bluefete wrote:I am just surprise that no one is targetting the PM. She is a lawyer. She is the head of government.
She MUST have known about the changes made and when Sec. 34 was being sent to the Prez for proclamation.
Anand and Volney would not take it upon themselves just so to send Sec. 34 to the Prez.
Also, I hear the entire cabinet agreed to send Sec.34 to the Prez.
I hear, eh.
The prime minister has the final call on proposed legislation after it is brought to the cabinet and before it is sent to the president. So obviously she knew about it.
The pm hasn't said a word on the matter afaik. The pp party model is based on protecting the leader at all cost so that regardless of the fiasco, she stands clear and any member that brings the party into 'disrepute' is cut off. Keep the core 'pure'. Similar model to what pnm used prior to the udecott controversy
That makes her (and the cabinet) an accessory to perverting the course of justice via legislation?
Judge orders Hart to pay $16,800 in legal fees
By Keino Swamber keino.swamber@trinidadexpress.com
Story Created: Sep 20, 2012 at 11:03 PM ECT
Story Updated: Sep 20, 2012 at 11:03 PM ECT
FORMER executive chairman of the Urban Development Corporation of Trinidad and Tobago (UDeCOTT), Calder Hart, has been ordered by a High Court judge to pay $16,800 in legal fees to UDeCOTT.
The order was made yesterday after attorneys representing Hart failed to convince Justice Andre de Vignes in the High Court in Port of Spain that Hart should be allowed additional time to file a defence to the $65 million lawsuit in relation to the still incomplete Brian Lara Cricket Academy at Tarouba.
The lawsuit, which was filed on behalf of UDeCOTT on May 1, accused Hart of breaching his duty to exercise skill, care and diligence in the management of the affairs of UDeCOTT.
It is alleged that Hart failed to ensure the renewal of advance payment bonds or, alternatively, recovery of $65,680,978.88 representing the balance of the advance payments made to contractor Hafeez Karamath Ltd by UDeCOTT.
The court had ordered Hart to file his defence by July 18 but he failed to do so on the ground that he was not in receipt of all the relevant documents relating to the Brian Lara Cricket Academy project.
Des Vignes said no good reason was advanced to explain why Hart did not comply with the court's timeline.
The judge said even if Hart needed to acquire documents which would assist him, and the documents were acquired after he filed his defence, he would have been allowed to amend his defence.
Hart was not present when the matter was called yesterday. His attorneys—Dr Lloyd Barnett QC, Keith Scotland and Stuart Young, instructed by Annabelle Boynes-Sooklal—explained that Hart was no longer living in Trinidad and Tobago. Des Vignes said Hart would be required to attend the case management conferences.
UDeCOTT was represented yesterday by attorneys Gerald Ramdeen, Leslie-Ann Lucky-Samaroo, Christlyn Moore and Kerry-Ann Oliverie.
At a news conference on May 1 at the Parliament Building at the International Waterfront Complex, Port of Spain, Attorney General Anand Ramlogan said a pre-action protocol letter had been sent to Hart in October last year and Hart responded a month later. He said Hart requested copies of "numerous and voluminous" documents, which were subsequently provided.
Hart, he said, failed and or refused to respond to the pre-action letter which left the State with no alternative but to file the lawsuit.
In the documents filed, Hart's address is listed as 6 De Lima Road, Cascade and 411 N. Newriver Drive, East Fort Lauderdale, Florida, 33301-3176, Unit 701 Las Lolas, Grand Private Condominiums.
The matter is expected to come up for hearing again on December 3.
Singh on Heathrow slot sale: PNM sold 'crown jewels'
By Anna Ramdass anna.ramdass@trinidadexpress.com
Story Created: Oct 22, 2012 at 10:00 PM ECT
Story Updated: Oct 22, 2012 at 10:00 PM ECT
Those responsible for selling this country's "grandfather rights" to slots at Heathrow Airport in London, England in 2007 for £5 million must be held accountable, says Government Minister Ganga Singh.
It was Singh, as the former member of Parliament for the Caroni East constituency at a Parliament sitting in 2007, who brought the sale of the slots to the public's attention.
Five years ago Singh had called for an investigation into the sale of the slots, saying they were undervalued when compared to the prices other airlines were paying for prime slots at Heathrow.
Last year, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar commissioned a three-man team to investigate the sale, comprising Justice Roger Hamel-Smith, economist Jwala Rambarran, now Central Bank Governor, and Dr Bijan Vasigh. Hamel-Smith stepped down, citing personal work overload, and Rabarran assumed the committee's chairmanship.
Yesterday, Singh told the Express that he felt vindicated by the forensic audit report which was completed in May this year and submitted to the Cabinet. The Express understands that the report will be laid in Parliament.
"The report vindicates the position I took in 2007...the former PNM administration really sold the crown jewels of BWIA, its Heathrow slots, for a beggarly sum...that has always been our position and today it subjects our travelling public in Trinidad and Tobago and other customers to a major inconvenience of having to go through the Gatwick hub, some two hours away from Heathrow," said Singh.
"And therefore those who acted recklessly and irrationally with our airline's crown jewels ought to be made accountable."
The forensic report recommended that a special Parliament sitting be convened for those culpable in the sale to give answers and also that it be forwarded to the Attorney General for further investigations.
The report, which was exclusively obtained by the Express, noted that at the time the slots were sold an Open Skies Agreement was in the works which ended decades of regulation of transatlantic flights and allows European airlines to fly between any destination within the European Union (EU) to any destination in the United States, while allowing US airlines to fly from any destination in the United States to any destination within the European Union. The agreement also increased the value of slots at Heathrow.
http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/Sin ... 36471.html
UML wrote:heard the NIB doing audits of the CEPEP contractors....glad to see accountability under the PP Government. . .
They targeting the small fry only?Rory Phoulorie wrote:UML wrote:heard the NIB doing audits of the CEPEP contractors....glad to see accountability under the PP Government. . .
Why doesn't the PP go and audit HDC and see hundred million dollar contracts being awarded without any proper tender documentation or tender evaluation process. Construction works are going on without a CEC in place and yet the Honourable Minister of Housing and the Environment is visiting the site to monitor progress.
Probably, that audit might lead right back to the Honourable Prime Minister's doorstep and her personal relationship with some of these contractors.
This PP is a bigger farce than the PNM.
'13% of people arrested during SoE convicted'
Story Created: Mar 20, 2012 at 10:58 PM ECT
Story Updated: Mar 20, 2012 at 10:58 PM ECT
Thirteen per cent of the people arrested during the State of Emergency between August 21 and December 5, 2011 were convicted.
This according to figures given by National Security Minister John Sandy in the Senate, Tower D, Waterfront Centre, Port of Spain yesterday.
He was responding to a question filed by PNM Senator Pennelope Beckles.
Sandy said of the 8,178 persons were arrested, 7,044 persons were charged.
The categories of offences included serious crimes, minor crimes, minor offences, offences under the Anti-Gang Act, breach of curfew, outstanding warrants and homicide investigations.
He said there were 1,075 convictions.
Furthermore, he said, 16 persons were detained towards the end of the State of Emergency in a plot to destabilise the country and assassinate the Prime Minister that three Cabinet Ministers.
Failed Petrotrin project ‘still costing company millions’
By Renuka Singh
Story Created: Apr 17, 2013 at 11:24 PM ECT
Story Updated: Apr 18, 2013 at 6:56 AM ECT
Almost three years since the project stopped and litigation began, Petrotrin’s failed World GTL (Gas to Liquids) project is still costing the company millions of dollars.
Khalid Hassanali, president of the State enterprise, said legal fees and other related costs have amounted to as much as $55 million since the deal ran aground in 2010.
“In terms of cost post-receivership and the elements of these costs would be preservation cost, which is cost to preserve the asset, the receiver’s fees, a few outstanding liabilities that the receiver had to treat with that was left behind, managing some of the offices and the inventories that were left behind as well, as well as some of the studies that the receiver has started in terms of the way forward as well as some continuing small construction activities that had to do with maintenance and preservation, all of that total so far is at US$55 million,” he said.
Hassanali, Petrotrin chairman Lindsay Gillette and the entire executive team sat before the Public Accounts (Enterprises) Committee on Tuesday, expecting to answer questions on the audited financial statements for the year 2008-2011, and instead spent more time on the multi-million-dollar failure of Petrotrin’s World GTL project and the Gas Optimization Project. “The matter is the subject of litigation abroad, so I have to be careful of what I say,” Hassanali said.
The World GTL Company has appealed the last arbitration and taken it to the courts in Toronto and as such legal fees to date stood at US$4.3 million.
“The expenditure to date, just prior to receivership is US$400 million. The estimate that has been given by various sources to complete the plant would be a further approximate US $120 million,” he said. In 2007, the initial budget for the World GTL project was pegged at US$160 million.
“Once the receivers are in place the receiver attracts a fee and then once we continue with our arbitration and the litigation that we have before us then again there would be charges,” Hassanali said after the session.
“What we have to decide is when this will all be over, “ he said, adding that no one could stop the litigation at this point.
Hassanali said he could not speculate when the matter would be resolved.
http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/Fai ... 18261.html
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