Blame PNM for Galicia corruption

R owley last week Thursday, during a ‘live’ interview on a radio station said that “very disturbing” documents on the leasing of the Galicia were sent to AG Faris Al-Rawi for possible action and that the public will soon know more about these documents.

“Because of how the public has been manipulated, it is important the Government provide all the information and all the documents,” Rowley said during that interview. He pointed to probable criminal conduct in other quarters. Rowley added that many critics of his government’s handling of the Galicia’s departure from the sea bridge, were mere “mouth pieces” for persons who had, “their noses in the trough”, in an arranged situation.

“You have people committing Government to expenditure of millions and millions of dollars, without appropriate authority. You see persons starting out at one end as lawyer for the Port (Authority) and then being a broker for the boat (Galicia),” Rowley alleged.

“People have been the beneficiary of largesse coming their way because of improper procurement procedure,” Rowley further alleged, adding he has told AG Al-Rawi to read the documents and decide on whatever action is necessary.

However, Moonilal in a press release, said it was the PNM Government that promised in its 2016-17 Budget, presented on September 30, that the Procurement Regulator and Board of Procurement Regulation will be established within six months.

“By the end of March 2017, if not before”, all agencies that procure or dispose of public property would be able to do so in accordance with the Public Procurement Act, the country was told. But this turned into yet another failed promise, Moonilal said, from, “a bungling and clueless Rowley regime”.

And incredibly, Moonilal added, Rowley is now conceding that, “people have been the beneficiary of largesse...because of improper procurement procedures.” As with several other vital legislative and policy measures, Moonilal said, this essential procurement structure and procedure has been sidestepped by an “inept administration.” Rowley’s revelation of the Galicia bobol, the Opposition MP stated, is nothing but, “a raw admission of incompetence and recklessness by a useless regime.” He must be held directly responsible, Moonilal said in reference to the Prime Minister.

Moonilal described the referral of documents to AG Al-Rawi as, “barefaced public relations”, designed to score, “cheap political points”, in the face of Rowley’s, “appalling national leadership.” The national community, Moonilal said, must insist that officials of the Government who are guilty of public criminal conduct, as identified by Rowley, must be held accountable.

Timely implementation of the procurement measures would not only have averted the Galicia scandal, but also several other acts of corruption at the levels of the Central Government, statutory bodies, State enterprises and Tobago House of Assembly (THA), Moonilal added.

He ended his release by saying that the Galicia scandal was a direct indictment on a hopeless and failed administration.