Moonilal: Is HDC transparent?

This follows his remarks at last week’s UNC Monday Night Forum at Bamboo where he alleged two officials linked to the army investigation into the handling of firearms by Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi’s children were recipients of high-end public housing under dubious circumstances as a possible inducement.

Housing Minister Randall Mitchell in a response on Wednesday, said HDC allocations are done transparently and he accused Moonilal of misleading the public.

In a media release on Friday, Moonilal said this had brought him, “great bemusement and bewilderment.” “He (Mitchell) defended the process by saying that the units at Victoria Keyes were advertised for sale on the open market and, as such, anyone with the necessary finances could purchase the apartments.

“Minister Mitchell clearly misinformed himself as to the transparent nature of the transactions as he studiously ignored a Cabinet note from the Manning administration which stated that HDC units are available only to firsttime home owners.” Moonilal alleged the two recipients in question are beneficial owners of properties and so do not qualify for HDC units whether or not it was advertised on the open market.

“Minister Mitchell must explain if the hundreds of persons who had previously applied for those units were contacted to give them an opportunity to be part of his so called ‘transparent process’.” He said thousands of applicants to the HDC, waiting five to 20 years for a unit, may have qualified for the Victoria Keyes units as firsttime homeowners.

“Why did the HDC conveniently fail to offer those units to persons in their database who satisfied the Cabinet policy and are property-less? It is remarkable that an ad is placed in the newspapers and six weeks later there are successful applicants with payment plans in place.

“The HDC cannot even give emergency shelter in such a record time. Minister Mitchell must take some time to acquaint himself with the rules which govern his Ministry!”