Imbert: It is not true

Imbert was responsing to allegations in a report which alleged his wife had been paid TT$7.5 million by the Housing Development Corporation (HDC) in April 2016 after two years of the invoices not being paid.

The article also alleged that the Finance Ministry released funds to enable the payments.

Responding directly to the claims that the Finance Ministry released funds for the payment to be made, Imbert responded, stating it was not true.

However, Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar intends to take the matter of that allegation to the Integrity Commission.

Speaking around the issue, Persad-Bissessar used the wife of a minister, never directly referring to Colm Imbert’s wife.

She made the comments, yesterday, as she toured various parts of the Sangre Grande Regional Corporation in a buildup to the upcoming Local Government Election.

Persad-Bissessar said to reporters when questioned on the matter, “I am reading in the papers today that the wife of a minister received payments of TT$7.5 million.

“The wife of the minister received payments before any other contractor had been paid.

There are persons in our team who have expressed the view that they will write to the Integrity Commission on that matter.

“We will take up the matter with the Equal Opportunities Tribunal.

“You have a list of persons who are owed by the HDC and yet they saw it fit...to pay the wife of a minister. So $7.5 million to the wife of a minister and it is zero, zero, zero for everybody else.

“I think that is totally deplorable and again is an example of the brutality being visited on the people and hard working people TT.

“We will send that matter and others to the Integrity Commission and others for further follow-up.

“The contractors have been complaining bitterly. Why is the wife of a minister allowed to jump the queue? “It reeks of discrimination of your friend and family taking care of them first. Totally unacceptable and I intend to follow through on it.” The report also alleges the Housing Development Corporation owes other contractors approximately TT$600 million.

As Persad-Bissessar walked along Cunapo Southern Main Road, Sangre Grande, aka Market Road, greeting residents and shoppers along the way.

Persad-Bissessar said to members of the media she was grateful for the support received but wanted that to translate into votes at the upcoming Local Government election.

“It has been very encouraging.

I want to thank all of the candidates. They have been out on the ground.

“They have been working for quite a while. I am seeing because of that work and the coordinating team we put into Grande, I am seeing it translating into the support being manifested today.

“All the support of love...you know you could walk and talk and you get a lot of hugs and greetings...I need that to translate into votes.” Persad-Bissessar said the major concerns she has heard form residents as she walked the ground in preparation for the Local Government Election has been crime and job loss.

“One of the major concerns is the loss of jobs and crime...

just last night what was it there or four more murders yesterday.

In the meeting and greeting crime fighting remains the number one priority but very close is the jobs.

“The thousands of people who have lost their jobs so far.

We are seeing it manifested. It is really sad.”