Moonilal: Fire Garcia, AG

According to Moonilal, the Commission of Inquiry into the Las Alturas project “has confirmed the direct complicity of ” Udecott chairman Noel Garcia and managing director Margaret Chow “in the decision to utilise taxpayers’ money in construction of public housing on volatile lands without official approvals.” The independent investigation, he said, has determined that Garcia was guilty of “civil liabilities” in his role at the time as managing director of the Housing Development Corporation (HDC), while Chow was deemed the “change agent” in charge of Las Alturas.

Today, Moonilal said, Garcia is Udecott chairman “with an even larger taxpayer-funded budget than HDC” while Chow is Udecott’s managing director.

Al-Rawi, as Attorney General guiding critical policy and legislative matters, Moonilal said was a HDC director at the time the decision was made to build the housing apartments on unstable soil and an abandoned quarry.

Al-Rawi is directly implicated in the Las Alturas scandal, Moonilal said, “despite Dr Rowley’s protestations, denials and blatant cover- up attempts.” He said Rowley must hold Al-Rawi, Garcia and Chow directly responsible for the Las Alturas disgrace, and promptly remove them from public office and from any positions that permit them to spend taxpayers’ dollars and direct policies.

Moonilal claimed Rowley was the housing minister when Cabinet gave approval to construct the Las Alturas towers, and the project was conceived under his ministerial watch.

He said Rowley’s handling of the Las Alturas outrage was similar to the $3 billion World Gas-to- Liquids (WGTL) scandal.

Calling on Rowley to take decisive action on the Las Alturas report, he said TT must also demand accountability and probity on the matter.