The $3 million villa in Bon Accord, Tobago, which Dr Roodal Moonilal charged was bought with state funds by former chairman of the Urban Development Corporation of T&T (Udecott), Calder Hart, is not in use. Udecott chairman Jearlean John made the disclosure to the T&T Guardian yesterday. "To the best of my knowledge, the villa is not being used at this time," John said. She declined any further comment on the property, Villa 13, Coral Seashells, Bon Accord, adding: "Dr Moonilal has said everything that is to be said. I can add nothing further." At the People's Partnership's second anniversary celebrations in Chaguanas last Thursday, Moonilal, the Housing Minister, produced a document he said was discovered hidden in a desk at Udecott. The deputy leader of the UNC said it was evidence that Hart used taxpayers' money to buy the property while he was executive chairman at Udecott. The property was purchased in October 2007.
Moonilal said the document had as a signatory Sharon Rowley, the wife of Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley. "This is a state enterprise that is making a purchase agreement in US dollars (US$449,500). Over TT$3 million of taxpayers' money to purchase a luxury villa for Udecott in Tobago," he said. The villa, built in colonial style, has a swimming pool and a garden. Moonilal wanted to know whether Tobago House of Assembly Chief Secretary Orville London knew that a villa in Tobago was sold to Udecott.
However, former PNM government minister Conrad Enill said nothing was wrong with Udecott buying the property for senior employees to use while working away from home. Noting that the property, according to Moonilal himself, was purchased by Udecott, Enill said: "It's not unusual for companies to have facilities in Tobago." State companies, Petrotrin and National Petroleum, also have facilities in Tobago to be used by employees, he said. "Government, for example, usually gives super-grade facilities to the Commissioner of Police and some judges because it's a condition of their employment. "Caribbean Airlines just leased a vehicle for its chairman, but it doesn't belong to the individual but the company. It's the same thing (with Hart and the Coral Seashell Villa)," Enill added. He said as far as he understood, the villa at Coral Seashells was purchased when there were National Infrastructure and Property Development Company (Nipdec) projects going on in Tobago.