Ganga: UNC never asked for Lindquist

OPPOSITION Chief Whip Ganga Singh on Friday denied that the UNC ever asked for Canadian forensic investigator Bob Lindquist to probe alleged corruption at the Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) and has called upon Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Geoffrey Henderson to turn the matter over to the police for a proper forensic investigation. Lindquist’s report was laid in the Senate on Tuesday and stated “we have found no basis for the allegations of impropriety made in the Hansard report on pages 11 to 19 under the date of May 21, 2003, time 2.30 to 3.30 pm by speaker Mr Ganga Singh.” However, in a letter to the DPP, Singh called for the matter to be referred to the police for a proper forensic investigation. “We cannot have the Executive scuttle investigations by narrowly defining their scope,” the Chief Whip stated. Addressing a news conference during the tea break in Parliament, Singh denied that the UNC requested Lindquist investigate alleged corruption at WASA. “ If you recall on May 21 when I referred to this matter and a matter on the adjournment, I called for a forensic investigation. The Prime Minister got up and said that he agrees with the Caroni East MP that there should be an  investigation and he (Manning) will retain forensic scientist Bob Lindquist. If  you go to the Hansard, you will see it is the Prime Minister that gave that undertaking,” he declared.

Singh said Lindquist only did “a review of documentation.” Remind-ed that police officers of the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) assisted Lindquist, Singh replied that the police acted differently to occasions where they searched the homes of Opposition Leader Basdeo Panday and former UNC MP Carlos John for evidence of fraud. “In this case, you have a clear indication that you have money trails and you have no such continuation of the investigative process,” he said. Asked if he could provide any further evidence to DPP, Singh replied that he had a copy of WASA’s registry report on Water Farms Trinidad Limited which contained information which conflicted with the Lindquist Report. “Those are issues that I have to look at to see how can I reconcile,” he said. The Chief Whip added that former PNM MP Dr Joe Laquis was premature in saying he was cleared of all wrongdoing and denied that the UNC had prejudiced public opinion about the Lindquist Report by publicly saying the final document would be a PNM cover-up. Singh stressed that he never spoke about the matter on any UNC political platform.