Padarath hits Sport Ministry perm sec

Barrow’s defence came as she was questioned on Monday at a Public Administration and Appropriations Committee meeting of Parliament. Padarath said Barrow’s excuses were insulting to the intelligence of the population. Querying Barrow’s statements that the decision to construct a temporary roof at the Dwight Yorke Stadium in Tobago, was as a result of the trip made to Tobago, Padarath said the PS is not a structural engineer and extra persons picked to go to Tobago at the cost of $92,000, did not include any expert on structural engineering.

Minister Smith and a party of ministry officials and people from the Sports Company (SPORTT) went to Tobago at tax payers’ expense to attend a THA sport awards. Smith and company stayed at the Magdalena Grand Beach Resort. Commenting on this, Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley shrugged off the public outrage by saying he leads a young Cabinet.

Padarath challenged a claim that the visit to Tobago had advanced the National Youth Policy and Caricom Youth Organization registration, saying none of staff held technical or policy positions in the Ministry, with respect to youth issues. Padarath reminded that Rowley still has to act on the Sport Minister with respect to the Tobago trip expenditure, something Rowley appeared to put off because at time, he had to go to Chile on official business.