Senator Mark: People will revolt

UNC Senator Wade Mark on Friday warned Government that if it continued to push the people, they will revolt and bullet and tear gas would not stop them. Referring to the protest in Point Fortin, Mark said people realised that they have to protest in order to get Government to take action on their concerns.  Mark also made a claim, which was immediately denied by National Security Minister Martin Joseph, that Government “was putting pressure on the Brigadier in charge of the army to demit office.” Mark was speaking in the Senate on Friday during the debate on the Variation of Appropriation bill. 

The UNC Senator said Government’s “use of state resources” — NCC/TV4 — to broadcast what was essentially PNM propaganda — the party’s 50th anniversary celebrations, was corruption. “How could the PNM be using the resources of the State to promote its own private agenda?” Mark asked. “That is corruption and I do not like to see people steal from the public purse,” he said, provoking a stream of comments from the Government bench. Mark called on the Minister of Public Administration and the Director of Public Prosecutions to launch an investigation into the issue. He added that since he did not trust either office-holder, it might be better to call on the FBI and the CIA to do a public inquiry.

Mark also alleged that there was corruption at the Sports Company. He said Ken Butcher, who belonged to the PNM, NAR, UNC and now PNM again,  was a “PIP” (party in power) member.  “I understand that there is large scale corruption in this company. They are having ghost football matches,” he said. He called on the Fraud Squad to investigate the Sports Company. Mark also criticised Government’s decision to put an additional $50.5 million into the Estate Management Development Company Limited. He said the board of the company had refused to pay a $300,000 settlement to a former female employee who was awarded the sum because of the “activities” of the CEO. He said Government via the Minister of Finance took the decision to pay the sum and to include a confidential clause in the settlement in order to cover up the whole affair.

Mark chastised Government for the decision to set up the Aluminium Smelter Plant. He said Alcoa (the company establishing the plant) had not built a plant outside of the US in 20 years, but they were coming to Trinidad and Tobago. He said he understood that Government promised the company free natural gas. Mark said he hoped that Government would lay the terms and conditions of the agreement. He said Government should hold a referendum on whether the plant should be set up in Trinidad.