Documents For the MILSHIRV BOLT Arrangement Made Public by THA

Justice Minister, Christlyn Moore

The Tobago House of Assembly (THA) Chief Secretary Orville London has made good on his word by providing the documents relating to the the controversial multi-million-dollar Milshirv deal for an Administrative Complex. The controversial Build Own Lease Transfer (BOLT) arrangement between the THA and Milshirv can be found in a 224 page document placed on the THA's Website. 

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar previously had called for a halt to the project as she questioned the transparency of the deal. Following the matter was referred to the Attorney General, Integrity Commission and Director of Public Prosecutions, with The Integrity Commission writing to London requesting the documents with respect to the contract. 

Attorney General Anand Ramlogan only last week threatened the Tobago House of Assembly Chief Secretary Orville London to submit documents pertaining to the Milshirv project and the aquatic centre project to  the Minister of Finance Larry Howai. 

Ramlogan stated that his request must be satisfied within a one week period or else London would be taken to court under the Freedom of Information Act, in an effort to compel him to release the documents. In response, Orville stated that his team was vetting the documents and all would be made public by Wednesday November 21 2012.

The BOLT arrangement surrounding the Milshirv deal has been a contentious one raised by the People's Partnership and Tobago Organisation of the People (TOP) as the THA elections nears.

Yesterday the Senate debate was lessened to a Political Campaign by the Justice Minister. 

The Justice Minister Christlyn Moore yesterday strongly accused the PNM THA of maladministration and criticized London for not submitting the documents as she said the Finance Minister Larry Howai was not yet in receipt of the documents.

Moore further accused the PNM of finacial improprity and stirring racial contention on the sister isle. She said reports from the auditor general for 2003, 2004 and 2005 show that the THA books were not in order and millions were unaccounted for.

She added, "PNM THA insulted Tobagonians by averring that if you vote for the TOP, Indians will take their land. She then stated that those assertion were shocking and shameful, and were degrading to the person who utters it as well as it is degrading to the person to whom it is uttered. she continued  saying "It is repulsive, it is repugnant to the democratic principles espoused in a global village and the success of that odious infamous message is premised on the assumed idiocy of the listener!".

Her political campaign continued as she then criticised the PNM for hosting a Tobago day last weekend in Trinidad. She said for years people of Tobago had to suffer and come to Trinidad to get a birth certificate and other official documents.

"Now we have come here to get cold food and hot beers, height of contempt. You want Tobagonians to come to a Tobago family day but you hold it in Port of Spain? So high do you hold us in your regard and Tobago people are not blind...we are alive to these ruses and that is why, Mr president, the hot beers and cold food fiesta buss because Tobagonians are not of that," Moore said.

Documents to the MILSHIRV project can be found at this link

Government Bolts to Court over THA contract

'LAW BREACHED': Attorney General Anand Ramlogan
Photo by: MICHEAL BRUCE

Government is bolting for the courts.

Attorney General Anand Ramlogan yesterday announced that Government is to go to court seeking a declaration that Chief Secretary of the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) Orville London and the Assembly violated Section 51 of the THA Act when it entered into a $143 million BOLT (Build, Own, Lease, Transfer) contract for the Milshirv Administrative Office.

Ramlogan told the Senate the matter had been referred to the Commissioner of Police for immediate investigation, to the Integrity Commission and the Director of Public Prosecutions by the office of the Attorney General.

Ramlogan said he had spent the last two days looking at the matter, which had been referred to him by the Prime Minister.

"When you deconstruct the BOLT arrangement, it is clear that Orville London and the THA breached the law.

"It appears that the THA negotiated an arrangement which was designed to by-pass and circumvent the provisions of the THA Act," he said.

"There are things about it from the start, however you turn it, however you dissect it, it reeks of corruption and misfeasance," the AG declared, to loud tablethumping support.

Ramlogan said Section 51 of the Act states that the THA Secretary may with the approval of the Minister (of Finance) borrow sums by way of term loans for the purposes of capital development.

Stating the Minister knew the country's balance sheet, he said the THA could not use a "disingenuous device" to get around the provision.

"Depending on what the court says, it may well be that the people of Tobago would be saved from this pernicious and oppressive agreement...and that transaction may be voided," he said to more deskthumping.

Ramlogan said there were too many questions to ask, such as: "How did these people (Dankett Limited) know that Orville London wanted an office complex in the first place to come and approach him with the proposal? This man had a piece of land and suddenly he had a vision...a dream, and he run down in his pyjamas and say 'hey Orville, I dream last night yuh wanted a complex and I will build it for yuh'. This is a strange case of political telepathy. Something has to be wrong."

He said he also wanted to ask London whether he paid 18 months' rent in advance in the sum of $21.64 million through a FCB account, "before even a post hole was dug", as soon as the lease was executed.

"Because if that company fold up, that money gone. That is what happened at e TecK and the WGTL (Petrotrin) matter, which are both before the court," the Attorney General said.

"Was this transaction put before the THA? Was there any public disclosure about it at all?" he asked, getting a response of "no" from his colleagues on the Government bench.

Ramlogan said two questions asked by Reginald Dumas, former head of the Public Service, remain unanswered--whether it was necessary to rent 83,000 feet of office space to house the Agricultural Division of the THA, and how come the cost per square foot of land in Milshirv was double the price of land in the capital city, Scarborough.

Reproduced from express Trinidad