Lindquist starts WASA probe

Forensic accountant Bob Lindquist, will seek to get all the answers as he begins his probe into WASA. Anyone found culpable, including PNM people will be brought to justice, Prime Minister Patrick Manning promised yesterday. Manning told the media he does not intend to ask the Minister of Public Utilities, or the WASA Board, anything about the allegations made by Opposition MP, Ganga Singh on the issue of the $29 million over-payment by WASA to Waterfarms Ltd. In fact, Manning indicated that Lindquist will have a free hand in the probe. The Prime Minister emphasised that he was letting forensic accountant, Bob Lindquist get all the answers, and anyone found culpable, including PNM people will face the consequences.

Speaking at a post-Cabinet news conference at Whitehall yesterday, Manning said the PNM is going to wait on Lindquist investigation before passing any judgement on its members. Manning said the PNM was not going to question any of its members who were named in the Parliament on Wednesday.  “The PNM is prepared to see what happens on the basis of a proper investigation by those authorised to do so.” However Manning stressed: “If any member of the People’s National Movement brings the party into disrepute there is the (party) Constitution under which those persons can be handled. And I assure you that the mood of the PNM is to do just that, to handle anybody that brings the party’s name into disrepute. In the PNM  there are no sacred cows, contrary to what I see in the newspapers (Newsday) this morning. Nobody is above the law, and that includes the Prime Minister.”

The Prime Minister said it was the Opposition which asked for Lindquist to be brought in. He said government expects to have a report from Lindquist in a relatively short space of time. Lindquist was due to meet with the AG yesterday afternoon. Asked why he hadn’t asked Minister Dumas for a report on the issue, Manning stated:  “I am not interested in a report from the Minister. I am prepared to allow the investigator to do his work.”  He said if he had gotten a report from the Minister and used it, he would be told it is Caesar to Caesar, that the Minister is a member of the Government and “what do you expect to hear. So to avoid all of that, Mr Lindquist has been brought in, he is getting his mandate today and we expect a report not too long from now.” 

Asked whether he was startled by the contents of Singh’s letter and the nature of the allegations, Manning said he had been in public life for so long that very few things startled him. But Manning said he considered it “wholly irresponsible” of the Opposition to stand up in a place of privilege (the Parliament) and call names of persons who are not there to defend themselves. He said in the very same way he was written a letter by Singh, Singh could just as easily have written a letter naming the persons allegedly involved.  Manning said that the poor systems of accountability in WASA seemed to have created a situation where the Opposition was able to access information faster than the Government. He said the new Minister, Christine Sahadeo, had been asked to establish mechanisms in the Ministry of Finance to improve accountability in the public utilities and other state agencies.