Eric Williams silent and out of sight

The function involved the presentation of a US$50,000 grant by bpTT and Landmark to UWI’s Engineering Faculty that will provide 16 versions of Landmark’s latest geophysical and geological software applications to the faculty’s Petroleum Geoscience Programme.

Since an April 27 sitting of the House of Representatives, when Opposition MP for Siparia, Kamla Persad-Bissessar, read a letter from PNM councillor Dansam Dhansook written to Prime Minister Patrick Manning, alleging that he had bribed both Williams and former Works and Transport Minister Franklin Khan. Williams has denied the allegations on two occasions.

He first did so during the same April 27 sitting of the Lower House and then at an April 29 news conference at the Parliament with Khan. Khan also denied the allegations made by Dhansook, but subsequently resigned from the Cabinet. Williams said he saw no reason to resign from Cabinet.

The Prime Minister has referred the matter to the Integrity Commission, and members of the commission are due to interview Dhansook at the Princes Town Regional Corporation headquarters today at 9 am. On Sunday, the PNM General Council approved a resolution to place Dhansook’s political future in the hands of the party’s Political Leader (Manning). Dhansook said he would abide by any decision the party makes on his political future. The Opposition UNC made additional allegations against Williams, but he has refused to respond to them. When contacted by Newsday on Monday and asked to respond to these new allegations, Williams said, "I am not speaking right now."

Energy Ministry officials said Williams had informed the organisers in advance of yesterday’s event at UWI that he would be unable to attend.

While Williams was absent, the speakers at yesterday’s function focused on some of his pet topics — building human capital in Trinidad and Tobago and proper management of the nation’s natural resources for the benefit of the population. bpTT vice-president (corporate operations) Charles Percy, who said he had received "a carte blanche" invitation to deliver the feature address (but did not elaborate), said the company viewed the development of good local geoscientists and engineers as critical to the proper development of both BPTT’s local operations and the local energy sector as it shifts from oil to natural gas.