Costs incurred by various ministries for the Uff Commission of Enquiry under the PNM administration totalled $46.2 million, according to MP Roodal Moonilal. He gave the figure in the Lower House yesterday while replying to an Opposition question on the Uff probe into Udecott. "...$46,235,586 of taxpayers funds... paid by the former administration to lock up the (PNM) member for Diego Martin West (Keith Rowley)," Moonilal said of the total cost. The largest part of the total involved $33.8 million which was paid to various legal representatives to support Udecott's case in the probe.
Attorney's fees included the following:
• Stuart Young ($1.9 million);
• Frank Solomon and Devish Maharaj ($15.5 million);
• Andrew Goddard ($11.2 million);
• Pollinais and Blanc ($3 million);
• Geoffrey Robertson ($1.3 million); and,
• Kim Franklin ($188,555).
Costs in the total figure for payment of commissioners fell under the office of the Prime Minister. This totalled $9.6 million out of the grand total. Moonilal said that included fees for commission chairman John Uff ($4.5 million) and commissioners Kenneth Sirju ($600,00); Desmond Thornhill ($600,000) and Israel Khan ($600,000). Goods and services accounted for $3.2 million.
The total cost also included $2.5 million incurred by the HDC for legal representation in the matter and $448,484 incurred by the then Planning and Housing Ministry to pay the firm of Alexander, Jeremie and Co and also to pay forensic auditor Bob Lindquist for a report on the Cleaver Heights housing project
Moonilal said Lindquist had not delivered a report to date. Lindquists's bill in that ministry's cost line was $115,272. He said Alexander, Jeremie and Co did various legal duties in the issue, including company searches and to obtain documents for the ministry and HDC.