?The T&T Chamber of Industry and Commerce (TTCIC) yesterday said it was "pleased" at last Friday's judgement by Justice Mira Dean-Armorer, which dismissed the judicial review filed by the Urban Development Corporation of T&T (UDECOTT).
The TTCIC said the 142-page judgement "effectively clears the way for the report of the Uff Commission" to be forwarded to the President and then laid in Parliament. In a two-page statement issued yesterday, the TTCIC said, "This will allow the country to hear the much-awaited findings of the Commission. "The matter has become even more urgent in light of the reported sudden resignation on Saturday of Mr Calder Hart from UDECOTT and all other State boards on which he served, with immediate effect." Hart resigned from five State boards–UDECOTT, National Insurance Board, T&T Mortgage Finance, the National Insurance Property Development Company Ltd and Home Mortgage Bank.
In its judicial review application, UDECOTT said the company and its chairman, Calder Hart, were treated with bias during the proceedings of the enquiry. The Uff Commission had decided it would not submit its report until a judgement on the judicial review case was delivered. TTCIC said the judgement by Dean-Armorer is a timely one because "it comes in the midst of fresh alleged evidence coming to hand, which gives rise to a perceived conflict of interest between the then chairman of Udecott and Sunway Construction Caribbean Ltd. UDECOTT has signed $820 million worth of public sector contracts with Sunway Construction.
The alleged evidence, contained in documents sourced by the Congress of the People (COP), points to strong links, through birth and marriage certificates, between Sherrine Hart, wife of Calder Hart, and two directors of Sunway Construction. "The chamber hopes the Uff Commission will now be allowed to present its report to the President without further delay, and that the report will be laid in Parliament for debate expeditiously, in the interest of transparency and accountability," the TTCIC said. The TTCIC said it is imperative for the Uff report to be fully ventilated "in the interest of the public's right to know" and as an indication Government is committed to responsible governance at the level of all State boards.