The official CEPEP thread

[pugboy]

yup
cepep workers are highly technical skilled workers

[Chimera]

LOL it so funny....so them PNM politicians saying CEPEP was the top of the ladder for these people
no other options

it probably cheaper to give them food card to stay home than to work too eh

no contractor fees

[hover11]

Why is cepep so important to the pnm but petrotrin wasn't

[hover11]

Penny confirms her dad was a CEPEP contractor , like everybody else, but he died over 10 yrs ago :https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1EoTb44dgF/


This is why PNM care about CEPEP so much they were all benefiting has nothing to do with poor ppl. It was a slush fund

[Dizzy28]

What is that 20k sent home PNM running with ?

Cepep 11k but where is the other 9k coming from?

[hover11]

What is that 20k sent home PNM running with ?

Cepep 11k but where is the other 9k coming from?

They claim the three thousand forestry workers whose contracts came to an end included in that bunch but they definitely inflating the numbers to make it look political

[Gladiator]

This is what the PNM really fighting for:

MONUMENTAL $150M A YEAR URP FRAUD EXPOSED UNDER PNM RACKETEERS
...General Council Members, Activists, Broadcasters, UWI Students In Jamaica And Barbados On Ghost Payroll
By KEN ALI
A PNM-connected radio political propagandist host has been on the payroll of the Unemployment Relief Programme (URP) for more than five years, secretly pocketing $9,220 a month - presumably to talk for her supper.
Her URP job title is Special Projects Coordinator. But she has never reported to work.
Monthly URP funds are doled out to the daughters of two PNM officials while they are attending university. One at UWI St. Augustine, the other at Cave Hill.
The person employed as tea lady at a primary PNM office has been receiving an additional suckeye $4,140 a month as a URP Material Supervisor, but has never done any such duties.
A PNM General Council member pulls down $6,325 a month as an Assistant Regional Manager and - you get it - has not carried out any functions.
Same for a PNM constituency chair, who cashes in $4,600 each month as a Personnel Development Officer.
A preliminary audit has unveiled a shocking list of political cronies living high off taxpayers, thanks to blatant racketeering.
The daughter of a former URP kingpin has been on the payroll since September 2017 as a Project Evaluation Officer, raking in $5,175 a month.
A PNM constituency activist pockets $5,750 a month as an absentee Quality Control Officer.
And so on.
Of the $300 million allocated to URP for the current fiscal year, $231 million has been drawn down so far, with only $2 million spent on goods and services.
The remainder has been assigned to payroll, but the initial study found that just over a quarter (4,000) of the 16,000 named employees go to work.
In other words, under the PNM Rowley regime about 12,000 persons have been raking in easy money under false pretenses in the corruption plagued URP program.
Of the 1,100 people on the monthly-paid roster, a minority turns up for actual duties.
Many "workers" are political beneficiaries of the brazen corruption.
Of the actual employees, there is a $10,000-a-month Special Project Coordinator who does clerical duties at the El Socorro head offices.
A secretary at a political office is paid as a URP engineer.
The audit revealed that at least $150 million in the current financial year has gone to a ghost system that includes registered monthly and daily-paid "employees."
There are at least 80 "gang bosses" who submit names for monthly payments.
The listed "workers" are given a quarter of the wages for the use of their names.
The "bosses" were traced to close alignment with the previous administration.
Of the 700 URP work groups in Trinidad (the THA runs the system in Tobago), 500 are assigned to the six regions along the East-West Corridor.
The current URP administration has promised to "exorcise" the ghost culture and to create jobs for the genuinely dispossessed.
The new leaders said "gang bosses" have become millionaires while the intended beneficiaries are on the breadline.
The programme will be restructured "to help people escape poverty," an official said.
Similar rackets have been uncovered at CEPEP and National Reforestation and Watershed Rehabilitation Programme.
The reforestation programme, launched in 2004, should have earned at least $5 billion through harvesting teak, mahogany and other lumber.
However, a study found that taxpayers have received a mere fraction in revenues, because of "ghost bosses", overall mismanagement and illegal logging.

[Dizzy28]

This is what the PNM really fighting for:

MONUMENTAL $150M A YEAR URP FRAUD EXPOSED UNDER PNM RACKETEERS
...General Council Members, Activists, Broadcasters, UWI Students In Jamaica And Barbados On Ghost Payroll
By KEN ALI
A PNM-connected radio political propagandist host has been on the payroll of the Unemployment Relief Programme (URP) for more than five years, secretly pocketing $9,220 a month - presumably to talk for her supper.
Her URP job title is Special Projects Coordinator. But she has never reported to work.
Monthly URP funds are doled out to the daughters of two PNM officials while they are attending university. One at UWI St. Augustine, the other at Cave Hill.
The person employed as tea lady at a primary PNM office has been receiving an additional suckeye $4,140 a month as a URP Material Supervisor, but has never done any such duties.
A PNM General Council member pulls down $6,325 a month as an Assistant Regional Manager and - you get it - has not carried out any functions.
Same for a PNM constituency chair, who cashes in $4,600 each month as a Personnel Development Officer.
A preliminary audit has unveiled a shocking list of political cronies living high off taxpayers, thanks to blatant racketeering.
The daughter of a former URP kingpin has been on the payroll since September 2017 as a Project Evaluation Officer, raking in $5,175 a month.
A PNM constituency activist pockets $5,750 a month as an absentee Quality Control Officer.
And so on.
Of the $300 million allocated to URP for the current fiscal year, $231 million has been drawn down so far, with only $2 million spent on goods and services.
The remainder has been assigned to payroll, but the initial study found that just over a quarter (4,000) of the 16,000 named employees go to work.
In other words, under the PNM Rowley regime about 12,000 persons have been raking in easy money under false pretenses in the corruption plagued URP program.
Of the 1,100 people on the monthly-paid roster, a minority turns up for actual duties.
Many "workers" are political beneficiaries of the brazen corruption.
Of the actual employees, there is a $10,000-a-month Special Project Coordinator who does clerical duties at the El Socorro head offices.
A secretary at a political office is paid as a URP engineer.
The audit revealed that at least $150 million in the current financial year has gone to a ghost system that includes registered monthly and daily-paid "employees."
There are at least 80 "gang bosses" who submit names for monthly payments.
The listed "workers" are given a quarter of the wages for the use of their names.
The "bosses" were traced to close alignment with the previous administration.
Of the 700 URP work groups in Trinidad (the THA runs the system in Tobago), 500 are assigned to the six regions along the East-West Corridor.
The current URP administration has promised to "exorcise" the ghost culture and to create jobs for the genuinely dispossessed.
The new leaders said "gang bosses" have become millionaires while the intended beneficiaries are on the breadline.
The programme will be restructured "to help people escape poverty," an official said.
Similar rackets have been uncovered at CEPEP and National Reforestation and Watershed Rehabilitation Programme.
The reforestation programme, launched in 2004, should have earned at least $5 billion through harvesting teak, mahogany and other lumber.
However, a study found that taxpayers have received a mere fraction in revenues, because of "ghost bosses", overall mismanagement and illegal logging.

Even someone with one eye could see what was going on with Cepep!!

[hover11]

Most of those people were in ghost gangs collecting a salary and signing an attendance sheet...

[hover11]

Two separate companies, linked to San Fernando City Corporation councillor Nigel Couttier and former councillor Jennifer Marryshow, were awarded nearly $9.7 million in Community-Based Environmental Protection and Enhancement Programme (CEPEP) contracts under the People’s National Movement government, an investigation by Guardian Media’s Investigative Desk has revealed.

For more…
https://www.guardian.co.tt/news/10m-in- ... bf7c00bbc0

The term conflict of interest eludes most ppl if you see no problem with this then we as a society have a big problem when it comes to corruption. Once is our party that run the corruption we couldn't care less

[The_Honourable]

CNC3 video explaining the guardian article

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1091887212352753

[one eye]

Minister confirms 60 CEPEP workers temporarily displaced.

January 26, 2022

Both Couva South MP Rudranath Indarsingh and Oropouche East MP Roodal Moonilal have criticized the government amidst reports of CEPEP contractors being instructed to cut two-thirds of their staff.

According to reports, a letter dated January 12th and signed by CEPEP CEO Keith Eddy was sent to contractors requesting that the number of teams under each contractor be reduced from three to one, effective January 17. The contractors were given until January 14th to submit the list outlining the employees that will remain employed with the company. If not done, CEPEP said it will not be in a position to pay any of the workers.

In a statement on Monday, Mr. Indarsingh questioned whether this is a result of a cash flow issue within CEPEP or in the wider government itself. But at Tuesday’s sitting of the Senate, Local Government Minister Kazim Hosein confirmed that the teams of 3 contractors, comprising of 30 workers were cut to 10.

“This does not include the whole of CEPEP. This resulted in 60 workers being displaced. We expect as this happens with CEPEP from time to time, all 60 workers will be re-integrated into the program,” he explained.

In his statement, while noting the socially and economically humble demographic that relies on CEPEP to put bread on their table, Indarsingh questioned what will be of these two-thirds of workers when they are forced into an already hemorrhaging economy to find work and support their families.

Indarsingh questioned, “Is there a cash flow problem existing that has forced this decision at CEPEP, or is there a cash flow problem existing within the level of the government of Trinidad and Tobago? If indeed this is so, the minister of finance, the Prime Minister, and the line minister need to come and say what is the current position as it relates to the future of CEPEP and the employees.”

Indarsingh described this move as a continuous attack on the working class as single parents will be directly affected and placed on the breadline. “I think it reeks of a sense of callousness and insensitivity on the part of this government to take this position.”

Recognizing that workers went forward and took the covid-19 vaccine to keep their jobs, Indarsingh said, “From day one you cannot trust this government, this government operates with a sense of insensitivity callousness and it has been anti-worker, anti-union and anti-people, so I expect nothing better.”

Meanwhile, Oropouche East MP Dr. Roodal Moonilal at the UNC’s Monday night meeting also described the move as insensitive while he claimed that much more than the Minister said, a whopping six thousand workers will be placed on the breadline.

https://psatrinbagott.org/minister-conf ... displaced/

[Dizzy28]

Minister confirms 60 CEPEP workers temporarily displaced.

January 26, 2022

Both Couva South MP Rudranath Indarsingh and Oropouche East MP Roodal Moonilal have criticized the government amidst reports of CEPEP contractors being instructed to cut two-thirds of their staff.

According to reports, a letter dated January 12th and signed by CEPEP CEO Keith Eddy was sent to contractors requesting that the number of teams under each contractor be reduced from three to one, effective January 17. The contractors were given until January 14th to submit the list outlining the employees that will remain employed with the company. If not done, CEPEP said it will not be in a position to pay any of the workers.

In a statement on Monday, Mr. Indarsingh questioned whether this is a result of a cash flow issue within CEPEP or in the wider government itself. But at Tuesday’s sitting of the Senate, Local Government Minister Kazim Hosein confirmed that the teams of 3 contractors, comprising of 30 workers were cut to 10.

“This does not include the whole of CEPEP. This resulted in 60 workers being displaced. We expect as this happens with CEPEP from time to time, all 60 workers will be re-integrated into the program,” he explained.

In his statement, while noting the socially and economically humble demographic that relies on CEPEP to put bread on their table, Indarsingh questioned what will be of these two-thirds of workers when they are forced into an already hemorrhaging economy to find work and support their families.

Indarsingh questioned, “Is there a cash flow problem existing that has forced this decision at CEPEP, or is there a cash flow problem existing within the level of the government of Trinidad and Tobago? If indeed this is so, the minister of finance, the Prime Minister, and the line minister need to come and say what is the current position as it relates to the future of CEPEP and the employees.”

Indarsingh described this move as a continuous attack on the working class as single parents will be directly affected and placed on the breadline. “I think it reeks of a sense of callousness and insensitivity on the part of this government to take this position.”

Recognizing that workers went forward and took the covid-19 vaccine to keep their jobs, Indarsingh said, “From day one you cannot trust this government, this government operates with a sense of insensitivity callousness and it has been anti-worker, anti-union and anti-people, so I expect nothing better.”

Meanwhile, Oropouche East MP Dr. Roodal Moonilal at the UNC’s Monday night meeting also described the move as insensitive while he claimed that much more than the Minister said, a whopping six thousand workers will be placed on the breadline.

https://psatrinbagott.org/minister-conf ... displaced/

Yea ...they opposed while in Opposition
Tell us more on the feeding frenzy sitting PNM politicians families were involved in nah. That's more salient than a change of heart.

[The_Honourable]

Yeah boi one eye... we appreciate the distraction from the cnc3/guardian investigation into cepep

I hope they buss the file on that pnm alderman with multiple cepep contracts

[The_Honourable]

The spat continues

[The_Honourable]

D-DAY FOR LAWSUIT - Judge to rule on August 8 after CEPEP attorneys challenge jurisdiction

A HIGH Court lawsuit challenging the termination of contracts for a Laventille-based general contracting company and over 300 other Community-based Environmental Protection and Enhancement Programme (CEPEP) contractors faces a decisive moment next month.

High Court Justice Margaret Mohammed is set to rule on a preliminary application that, if successful, could effectively bring the entire High Court action to an immediate end.

The core of this preliminary point is CEPEP’s argument that the court lacks jurisdiction to hear the case. Lawyers representing CEPEP, led by senior counsel Anand Ramlogan, contend that the contracts in question contain an alternative dispute resolution (ADR) clause.

This clause, they argue, mandates that disputes must first be addressed through mediation and arbitration before either party can pursue litigation in the High Court.

“As a precondition to bringing this claim, the parties have agreed to first exercise and/or exhaust these two alternative dispute resolution mechanisms before a viable and justiciable claim could be brought in the High Court,” CEPEP’s lawyers stated in their application.

They further asserted that “it would be inappropriate and improper for the court to allow the claimant to breach and/or bypass the mandatory alternative dispute resolution mechanisms they agreed to and entertain this claim”.

When the lawsuit came up for hearing yesterday afternoon, Justice Mohammed requested further submissions from both parties on this jurisdictional challenge, with a deadline set for the end of this month.

She is expected to deliver her ruling on that point on August 8.

Should the judge rule in favour of the CEPEP Company and find that the High Court does not have jurisdiction, then the High Court action, including any pending applications for injunctions, will come to an end unless an appeal against her decision is filed.

The lawsuit was initiated by Eastman Enterprise Ltd, a company impacted by the mass terminations. Eastman had sought an urgent injunction to stay the terminations and prevent CEPEP from hiring replacement contractors while its substantive case challenging the terminations proceeded.

However, the focus of the recent hearing shifted entirely to the jurisdictional matter.

In the substantive case, Eastman is contending that CEPEP acted unlawfully in terminating the contracts late last month, asserting that these terminations were based on a directive from the current United National Congress (UNC)-led coalition government.

The company claims that under Clause 15 of its contract, CEPEP was required to either provide 30 days’ notice of termination or make an immediate payment in lieu of notice. This clause typically applies if a contractor fails to meet contractual obligations or performance assessments.

Eastman alleges that while a payment was promised, it was not made concurrently with the termination letter as it should have been.

The company is also arguing that Clause 15 itself is unfair and in breach of the Unfair Contract Terms Act 1985, as it grants CEPEP an excessively broad discretion to terminate contracts.

Adding another layer of complexity to the dispute, CEPEP’s legal team has also raised concerns about the validity of the contracts themselves.

They claim that the agreements, which were originally set to expire in September 2026, were renewed for a three-year term just five days before the April 28 general election without proper Cabinet approval.

CEPEP alleges that its former board was misled into facilitating these renewals through a fraudulent misrepresentation.

To support this, CEPEP has provided a statement from the Ministry of Finance indicating that Cabinet approval was indeed required to commit the government to such a significant three-year expenditure, estimated to be more than $1 billion.

CEPEP’s chief executive officer Keith Eddy submitted an affidavit alleging that the State board’s former chairman, Joel Edwards, had informed him that Cabinet approval had been granted before the renewal process began.

However, in an affidavit filed on behalf of Eastman, Edwards denied this specific allegation. Edwards stated that in discussions with the CEO, they had “wondered whether same was required, but no decision was made on that issue of obtaining Cabinet approval.” While he admitted that a note approving the extension, which was subsequently approved by CEPEP’s board, stated that such approval had come from Cabinet, he claimed that this note was later corrected, though the corrected version was not provided to the court.

CEPEP’s legal team also includes Kent Samlal, Jared Jagroo, Aasha Ramlal, and Natasha Bisram. Representing Eastman Enterprise Ltd are senior counsel Larry Lalla, Kareem Marcelle and St Clair O’Neil.

https://trinidadexpress.com/news/local/ ... 261ba.html

[hover11]

In a significant development in the CEPEP court case, Chief Executive Officer Keith Eddy has claimed he was pressured by former Local Government Minister Faris Al-Rawi to approve the mass renewal of contractor contracts—without Cabinet approval—just days before the April 28 general election.

Read more:
https://www.guardian.co.tt/news/cepep-c ... ba0c897d3e

As far as I know a contract is void if signed under duress

[pugboy]

man now realise ferris and dem throw him under the bus long time

[bluefete]

man now realise ferris and dem throw him under the bus long time

LOL. Grate is de PEENM.

[Dizzy28]

In a significant development in the CEPEP court case, Chief Executive Officer Keith Eddy has claimed he was pressured by former Local Government Minister Faris Al-Rawi to approve the mass renewal of contractor contracts—without Cabinet approval—just days before the April 28 general election.

Read more:
https://www.guardian.co.tt/news/cepep-c ... ba0c897d3e

As far as I know a contract is void if signed under duressFB_IMG_1753097387015.jpg

If News sauce reported on this story it would probably be that Gerald Ramdeen and Anand Ramlogan held Eddy in a back room somewhere in the Penal at cutlass point and forced him to sign off on all the contracts or else they would kill his dogs

Tong say so!!!
Tea and Bachs!!!

[The_Honourable]

Al-Rawi breaks silence on CEPEP claims

Former minister of Rural Development and Local Government Faris Al-Rawi is breaking his silence on allegations tied to ongoing litigation involving the Community-Based Environmental Protection and Enhancement Programme (CEPEP). Al-Rawi said the information being circulated is intended to “deceive the public”.

The allegations, made public by CEPEP CEO Keith Eddy, were that Al-Rawi pressured him to approve the mass renewal of contractor contracts without Cabinet approval in the days leading up to the April 28 General Election.

The claims have been taken up by the United National Congress (UNC), with Public Utilities Minister Barry Padarath urging Al-Rawi to address the issue.

“The former prime minister and the line minister, together with all cabinet ministers, have a responsibility to the people of Trinidad and Tobago to say whether any member of the PNM pressured the CEO of CEPEP to extend these contracts. I am asking whether any of them misled fraudulently, a representation that the cabinet did in fact give the approval for $1.4 billion in expenditure that has now found its way on public record through the court. Usually, former minister Al-Rawi is very vocal on these issues, and therefore his silence is deafening.”

But in a statement to Guardian Media yesterday, Al-Rawi cautioned against the premature and politicised discussion of proceedings still before the courts.

“It is inappropriate while the matter is being actively considered by the court for persons to be releasing affidavit evidence untested by cross-examination and calling upon others to comment on such evidence,” said Al-Rawi. “The determination of the litigation against CEPEP is important to 11,000 workers and their family members.”

Al-Rawi criticised what he called the “public trading of specific allegations” and suggested that the UNC’s approach risks compromising the integrity of the legal process.

“To engage in public trading of specific allegations now before the Court, in the manner prompted by the UNC, would not be in the best interests of the heart of the litigation, to find relief for brutalised workers dismissed by CEPEP’s actions,” he added.

The former minister also hinted at what he described as a deliberate attempt to distort public perception by selectively releasing information.

“With a view towards halting attempts at scandalisation, I can say that clearly not all information has been put into the public domain in a clear attempt to deceive the public,” Al-Rawi said.

Al-Rawi also took aim at the Public Utilities Minister.

“Mr Padarath has clear and vested interests in his own political agenda, which will be properly addressed in due course.”

Back in June, CEPEP terminated the contracts of over 300 CEPEP contractors affecting an estimated 10,000-plus workers.

It came after the Government announced that an audit would be conducted into CEPEP following allegations of corruption and mismanagement under the previous administration.

The PNM and a dismissed contractor are challenging the dismissal in court.

Meanwhile, Padarath said the complete CEPEP Board will be announced by tomorrow, Thursday.

Yesterday, Padarath explained that while some members of the board have already been appointed and are actively working, Government is moving to finalise the remaining appointments to ensure the organisation’s operations continue without disruption. He said the audit is also ongoing.

He also said payments are currently being made to terminated CEPEP contractors.

https://www.guardian.co.tt/news/alrawi- ... 98db77ce60

[hover11]

Where were the tenders for these contracts advertised anyone remember seeing them

[timelapse]

With this current trend, I wonder when the PNM activists will start demanding slavery reparations from indo Trinidadians. I feel this will be coming soon

[The_Honourable]

Imbert: CEPEP board had authority to award new contracts

Former finance minister Colm Imbert is promising dismissed workers of the Community-Based Environmental Protection and Enhancement Programme (CEPEP) that the Opposition will fight for them.

He made the promise as he addressed supporters at the Malabar Community Centre on Thursday night during a meeting entitled In Defence of the People.

Imbert was at the time commenting on an affidavit signed by CEPEP chief executive officer Keith Eddy, in which Eddy claimed he had been pressured by former local government minister Faris Al-Rawi to extend contracts in the lead-up to the April 28 General Election.

Imbert explained that the then Cabinet, as far back as 2015, gave the CEPEP board the authority to award new contracts and that stipulation was never changed.

Last month, over 300 CEPEP contractors were terminated. Altogether, the contractors hired more than 10,000 workers, who were also placed on the breadline because of the dismissals.

The contracts were terminated pending an audit, as the Government found that many—due to end next year—had been extended to 2029. This is now the subject of a court battle, as both the Opposition and Government tussle over the legality of the termination.

Imbert said that prior to the termination, Parliament had approved $60 million for CEPEP to pay contractors up to the end of the year. With the contractors terminated, he questioned how the money would now be used.

“They came and asked for an extra $60 million to pay for all those PNM contracts. That was in June. And when they finish get the approval, they terminate all the contracts. And now saying the contracts had no approval. Jokers! Let’s see where they’re going with that. So that’s why I say we will fight them.”

He said in 2015, a note was taken to Cabinet by him which authorised CEPEP to award new contracts as required.

He added, “That was never rescinded. That note was never varied. Even the same UNC has not rescinded that.”

Opposition Leader Pennelope Beckles confirmed the People’s National Movement will be defending the dismissed workers, as she questioned what love the Government had for the most vulnerable in the country.

She said there may be a link between the cancellation of CEPEP contracts and a supposed increase in dengue fever, as there was stagnant water in public areas and unkempt public spaces.

https://www.guardian.co.tt/news/imbert- ... 5004fbd95d

[sMASH]

While coal pot on morning programs declaring they standing up fur cepep rights, I hearing cepep handling bush normel outside .

So it was not unilateral termination , just selected contracts

Any action on court would fall apart. Faris and Kareem eh saying dat.

[The_Honourable]

Cepep threatens to sue ex-chairman over contract extensions

Attorneys for state-owned Cepep Company Ltd have sent a legal warning to its former chairman Joel Edwards, accusing him of misleading the company’s board into extending hundreds of contracts worth about $1.4 billion.

In a pre-action letter on July 25, attorney Jarrd Jagroo, who is led by Senior Counsel Anand Ramlogan of Freedom Law Chambers, claims Edwards wrongly told the board that cabinet had approved the extensions, which locked the company into long-term commitments until 2029.

The letter said the statement was false and amounted to fraud, misrepresentation and breach of fiduciary duty.

Cepep’s CEO Keith Eddy has said Edwards assured him cabinet approval was granted, citing then-line minister Faris Al-Rawi as the source. WhatsApp messages from April 2025, allegedly sent by Edwards, also state that “pursuant to cabinet approval, we are extending contracts…for a further period of 3 years.”

The messages have been filed in Cepep’s defence of a lawsuit by a Laventille contractor challenging the termination of contracts.

Edwards has denied wrongdoing, saying the board note contained an error that he ordered corrected. But Cepep insists no correction was ever made and the company acted on Edwards’ instructions, believing it was carrying out cabinet’s decision.

The letter accused Edwards of failing to act in Cepep’s best interest and exposing the company to lawsuits, legal costs, and reputational damage. Cepep said it would seek to make him personally liable for any losses.

Eddy said he refused to sign off on a three-year extension of hundreds of contractor agreements, citing concerns about committing the government to a billion dollar bill.

Eddy said he faced “intense pressure” to approve the extensions and add new contractors, but no written proof of cabinet approval or additional funding was ever provided.

He said the Ministry of Finance had previously flagged “unjustified and uncontrolled expenditure” and “major discrepancies” in Cepep’s accounts, prompting him to refer the matter to the Anti-Corruption Bureau, the DPP, and the Integrity Commission.

Eddy, who has led Cepep since 2016, claimed he stood firm despite pressure ahead of the general election, warning that extending all contracts en masse without prior authorisation would be “unethical, if not illegal.”

He said any suggestion he approved the move was “false and fabricated.”

Eddy’s affidavit was filed as Cepep defends itself against a lawsuit by Eastman Enterprises Ltd, which claims its contracts were wrongfully terminated, leaving thousands of workers unpaid. Cepep alleges its former board improperly extended 336 contracts worth about $400 million until 2029 based on false claims of cabinet approval and has launched a probe into “political fraud.”

Edwards denied cabinet approval was necessary and said a mistaken board note was corrected. The case, before Justice Margaret Mohammed, resumes on August 8 to address preliminary issues raised by Cepep who said the contractor's concerns should have been taken to mediation instead of the court as the contract allowed.

https://newsday.co.tt/2025/07/27/cepep- ... xtensions/

[Dizzy28]

Cepep threatens to sue ex-chairman over contract extensions

Attorneys for state-owned Cepep Company Ltd have sent a legal warning to its former chairman Joel Edwards, accusing him of misleading the company’s board into extending hundreds of contracts worth about $1.4 billion.

In a pre-action letter on July 25, attorney Jarrd Jagroo, who is led by Senior Counsel Anand Ramlogan of Freedom Law Chambers, claims Edwards wrongly told the board that cabinet had approved the extensions, which locked the company into long-term commitments until 2029.

The letter said the statement was false and amounted to fraud, misrepresentation and breach of fiduciary duty.

Cepep’s CEO Keith Eddy has said Edwards assured him cabinet approval was granted, citing then-line minister Faris Al-Rawi as the source. WhatsApp messages from April 2025, allegedly sent by Edwards, also state that “pursuant to cabinet approval, we are extending contracts…for a further period of 3 years.”

The messages have been filed in Cepep’s defence of a lawsuit by a Laventille contractor challenging the termination of contracts.

Edwards has denied wrongdoing, saying the board note contained an error that he ordered corrected. But Cepep insists no correction was ever made and the company acted on Edwards’ instructions, believing it was carrying out cabinet’s decision.

The letter accused Edwards of failing to act in Cepep’s best interest and exposing the company to lawsuits, legal costs, and reputational damage. Cepep said it would seek to make him personally liable for any losses.

Eddy said he refused to sign off on a three-year extension of hundreds of contractor agreements, citing concerns about committing the government to a billion dollar bill.

Eddy said he faced “intense pressure” to approve the extensions and add new contractors, but no written proof of cabinet approval or additional funding was ever provided.

He said the Ministry of Finance had previously flagged “unjustified and uncontrolled expenditure” and “major discrepancies” in Cepep’s accounts, prompting him to refer the matter to the Anti-Corruption Bureau, the DPP, and the Integrity Commission.

Eddy, who has led Cepep since 2016, claimed he stood firm despite pressure ahead of the general election, warning that extending all contracts en masse without prior authorisation would be “unethical, if not illegal.”

He said any suggestion he approved the move was “false and fabricated.”

Eddy’s affidavit was filed as Cepep defends itself against a lawsuit by Eastman Enterprises Ltd, which claims its contracts were wrongfully terminated, leaving thousands of workers unpaid. Cepep alleges its former board improperly extended 336 contracts worth about $400 million until 2029 based on false claims of cabinet approval and has launched a probe into “political fraud.”

Edwards denied cabinet approval was necessary and said a mistaken board note was corrected. The case, before Justice Margaret Mohammed, resumes on August 8 to address preliminary issues raised by Cepep who said the contractor's concerns should have been taken to mediation instead of the court as the contract allowed.

https://newsday.co.tt/2025/07/27/cepep- ... xtensions/

Joel.wasnt the head of the PNM youth arm at some point?

When they start saying UNC only hiring hacks

[The_Honourable]

Because the previous administration encouraged gangs , gave them CEPEP contracts. They acting up out of desperation right now.

Not so.

This was already addressed in the other thread.

Gangs take over

Cops: Criminals infiltrate URP, CEPEP

Criminal networks have infiltrated both the Unemployment Relief Programme (URP) and Community-Based Environmental Protection and Enhancement Programme (CEPEP), according to police intelligence reports.

National security sources told the Express that the police have information of a grand scheme where gangs were using these programmes as revenue streams for illicit activities.

One East Trinidad gang is said to have illegitimately secured jobs under URP for its members in Arima, Carapo and Malabar.

Family members of gang leaders have been hired as coordinators, and over the years have populated employee lists with individuals whose salaries are funnelled back into criminal organisations.

URP and CEPEP have allegedly been used to finance gang operations, launder money through fraudulent schemes, and spark violence between rival groups.

Contract and turf wars

Police reports point to inter-gang conflict in Morvant over access to lucrative State contracts.

In Tunapuna, four gangs are reportedly engaged in a turf war over control of drug blocks. In the North Eastern Division, police are confronting territorial conflicts in areas such as Guanapo and Arima.

Sources said in the lead-up to the April 28 general election, an increase in violence was anticipated due to the expected distribution of short-term contracts through local government regional corporations.

Further, the Express was told that the police have identified over a dozen active gangs across the country and are tracking hundreds of members, both incarcerated and free.

Sangre Grande and surrounding areas have been flagged as hotspots where certain police officers are allegedly involved in criminal activity.

Sources said the complicit officers have been leaking sensitive information, accepting bribes for detainee releases, and failing to act on known persons of interest.

Gangs are reportedly laundering money through legitimate businesses such as car washes, spas and construction companies.

Minister of Defence Wayne Sturge had touched on the issue of gangs in Grande at budget consultations in Freeport last Wednesday. Sturge is the Member of Parliament for Toco/Sangre Grande.

NOC under scrutiny

Sources told the Express that National security systems themselves have shown critical weaknesses.

The National Operations Centre (NOC), responsible for daily security coordination, has been found inadequate.

With assistance from the United States Embassy, an external US team assessed the NOC and flagged significant cybersecurity risks.

The system was found to be structurally insecure. Upgrades over the years have been ineffective. One major concern is that Huawei — an external private company - has sole access to the system’s most sensitive data.

Sources say this lack of internal control is a major vulnerability.

The most recent terror plot was detected and thwarted, but sources warn that the gang culture in Trinidad and Tobago continues to pose a serious threat.

Law enforcement officials have expressed confidence in dismantling these criminal networks through intensified operations and legislative action.

Contraband has been smuggled into all 11 of the country’s prison facilities.

At the Eastern Correctional and Rehabilitation Centre (ECRC), for instance, multiple devices capable of bypassing scanners and jammers were confiscated, according to intelligence reports.

https://trinidadexpress.com/news/local/ ... c41cc.html

[pugboy]

and the east pos company
heinz and leonce used to help gangsters register their companies for state contracts

[The_Honourable]

Billion spent, yet URP fails to equip workers with real skills and stable jobs

That’s how much Trinidad and Tobago has spent on the Unemployment Relief Programme (URP) between 2010 and 2024.

Over the past 15 years, the URP has been a constant fixture in the country’s public spending, costing taxpayers billions while attempting to provide short-term employment to thousands.

During the People’s Partnership administration (2011–2015), the programme’s expenditure totalled approximately $2.6 billion—an annual average of $512 million.

In contrast, between 2016 and 2024, under Dr Keith Rowley’s PNM government, URP’s total spend was around $2.3 billion, averaging $257.8 million annually.

The single highest year of expenditure was 2015, when $717.5 million was spent—25 per cent more than the second-highest total, $572.5 million in 2014.

At the opposite end of the spectrum, the lowest spend came in 2021 at the height of the global COVID-19 pandemic: $258.7 million.


URP Expenditure Between 2010 and 2024

2010-$441.2 million

2011-$441.2 million

2012-$423.6 million

2013-$406.9 million

2014-$572.5 million

2015-$717.5 million

2016-$349.8 million

2017-$299.9 million

2018-$272.1 million

2019-$281.4 million

2020-$281.4 million

2021-$258.7 million

2022-$274.4 million

2023-$307.8 million

2024-$302.4 million (revised estimate)

According to budget documents, 19,788 people received benefits from the programme between October 2023 and June 2024. 66 per cent of them were female.

URP, as its name suggests, is designed to offer short-term employment and development to participants, making them more business savvy and appealing in the job market.

Between mid-2023 and the end of 2024, according to the Central Bank’s Economic Datapack, the unemployment rate increased by almost two per cent (3.7 per cent to 5.5 per cent).

The Central Statistical Office (CSO) also reported an increase in unemployment.

“In quarter 1, 2025, the average number of persons with jobs for all sectors was 558,900. Compared to the 4th quarter of 2024, the overall average employment across all industries recorded a decrease of 2.3 per cent,” it said.

According to the CSO’s data, there are around 28,900 unemployed people.

From relief to reliance: Research shows workers left stagnant

Last May, Public Policy Analyst Dr Marsha De Souze published a doctoral research study on URP called ‘The Perception of the Participants of the Unemployment Relief Program on Employability: A Social Policy Initiative in Trinidad and Tobago’.

Noting that little to no literature exists on unemployment programmes in Trinidad and the Caribbean, Dr De Souze sought to offer some clarity.

“What we often do is take programmes and ideas from developed countries and bring them here without looking at our market and without looking at our demand and supply for labour, and then we develop a programme, give people a stipend for doing work, and they become dependent on the programme, and the programme is not addressing the demand for labour in Trinidad and Tobago,” she said.

Between 2019 and 2024, Dr De Souze interviewed 12 programme participants–six males and six females of varying ages and ethnicities. One of the participants has worked with the programme for 17 years.

She discovered that participants valued the programme a lot because it offered much-needed financial relief.

However, her research showed that while the programme’s theoretical structure is excellent, it is not achieving its mandate because there is an absence of funding for individual development.

The URP was intended as a short-term unemployment programme, but despite requirements for training and partnerships to support participants’ self-sufficiency, no significant investment has been made to help them exit the programme through job training or employment support.

“Some of the participants would have been there before that period (2019 to 2024). Although the Cabinet minute that established the programme has stipulations for training and partnership with other government agencies about self-sufficiency on the participants’ behalf, monies have not been invested in getting participants to exit the programme, in terms of training and having them actively look for other jobs. Remember, the URP was designed to be a short-term unemployment programme.

“In terms of developing the participants to exit the programme faster and helping these participants deal with their employment issues–if it can be dealt with, because not everybody’s situation is the same–it doesn’t have that,” she said.

According to De Souze’s study, between 2015 and 2024, no URP workers were offered formal training, as reported in a training department’s internal report.

After completing their URP service, most of De Souze’s participants went on to do similar jobs: cleaning, sanitisation, janitorial work, road work, and street maintenance.

Two former participants are now self-employed, working in plumbing and masonry.

“No participant reported getting assistance with job search activities, looking for a future job, or having guidance to move beyond the programme. Upon completion, two participants were referred to others for a job through letters of recommendation.

“When asked about career counselling and 72 guidance in identifying career goals and exploring job opportunities, the participants had yet to receive such aid while in the program,” the study found.

Among De Souze’s other findings were reports of political interference, nepotism and ghost gangs in the programme.

“Persons perceive that politics highly influence the URP and get to work on the programme depending on which political party is in government. Persons recalled that when government administration changed, they stopped getting work in the programme.

For instance, one participant stated, “Administration changed, and nothing again.’ Another added, “I did not stay there long because they got rid of all the daily paid workers when PNM came into power.

According to De Souze’s report, “Participants spoke of favouring relatives and close friends, especially by giviwng them job opportunities and benefits. The participants explained situations where nepotism was evident in the URP. The participant said, ‘I think everybody needs a fair chance. Not because my aunt was working there; I should come and take my aunt’s place because she retired. They would take in a cousin or an aunt and not give everybody a fair chance; they need to give everybody a fair chance.”

And while some participants revealed the presence of ghost gangs, De Souze’s research suggested that the issue is not as prevalent as it once was, as “the study finds URP fails to lift workers out and lacks training and job support”.

Recommendations

Based on her findings, the public policy analyst recommended that:

* Programme funding is increased to implement development and employability components.

* Objective recruitment of administrators is required to execute the programme’s employability deliverables.

* Officers of the URP need to execute the programme’s employability deliverables.

* Participants’ data is used to inform decisions when providing training within the programme.

https://www.guardian.co.tt/news/billion ... 63f55c5648