Mark alleges soldiers removed from PM residence

THE SPECTRE of a gruesome double murder at the Prime Minister’s St Ann’s residence two years ago,  resurfaced in the Senate yesterday as UNC chairman Wade Mark alleged that all military personnel had been removed from the PM’s residence following an altercation between a soldier and a handyman. Speaking during debate on an Act to vary the appropriation of monies authorised by the Appropriation Act 2003, Mark claimed that two weeks ago there was a brawl between a soldier and a handyman in the kitchen of the PM’s residence. He said when Prime Minister Patrick Manning found out about it, he immediately dismissed all military staff stationed there. Mark called upon National Security Minister Howard Chin Lee to launch an immediate investigation into the matter. The Senate Minority Leader added that he had a list of the sacked military personnel and claimed that Basdeo Panday retained all military staff at the La Fantasie residence when he became prime minister in 1995. On April 19, 1999, the nation was stunned when it learnt that Coast Guard Commander Noel Penco, Comptroller of the Household, was shot dead at the residence by Corporal Anthony Caesar. Caesar shot and wounded secretary Heather Wiltshire and then ended his life with a single bullet to the head. Panday and his wife Oma were in Costa Rica at the time of the murder-suicide and then Chief of Defence Staff Captain Anthony Franklin said there had been no security breach at the PM’s residence. When Newsday called the PM’s residence yesterday, a civilian worker declined to say whether or not any military personnel were on the compound.

However, frustrations by the earlier, lengthy presentations of Government Ministers Dr Lenny Saith and Jarrette Narine seemed to have derailed Mark’s train of thought and he never revealed the alleged $6 billion scandal at the Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) as he had promised to. Mark started to claim that then Public Utilities Minister (now Housing Minister) Martin Joseph approved salary increases for WASA’s CEO Errol Grimes and Board of Directors, Joseph leapt to his feet on a point of order and declared that Mark was misleading the Upper House. Senate President Dr Linda Baboolal cautioned Mark on his approach and the UNC chairman changed his tune to claim that the increase of $740 million being requested by Government was the “people of this country paying taxes for the PNM to brutalise them.” He claimed Manning’s declaration of TT being the ultimate democracy was nothing but a sham for the PNM “to distribute State resources in a one-sided fashion.” “Where is the human dignity?” Mark asked. The UNC chairman said Government had reneged on its promises to bring various pieces of legislation to the Parliament. He declared that taxpayers monies were wasted on Commissions of Inquiry into the Elections and Boundaries Commission and the Biche High School and it was ridiculous to allocate a further $1.5 million for the Piarco Commission of Inquiry. Mark also alleged that Acting PM Joan Yuille-Williams’ Ministry of Community Development had a total allocation of $8.6 million and was “causing kuchur” (trouble) within the Government’s ranks. He claimed that Yuille Williams was actually doing the jobs of Ministers Christine Kangaloo and Mustapha Abdul Hamid and called for the immediate dismissal of both Ministers.