Sport Minister Brent Sancho has said his adviser Kevin Harrison is adviser to him moreso than the ministry, but he ultimately makes the decisions, not Harrison.
Sancho was commenting Thursday night on the appointment of Harrison as his adviser on a short-term contract. Harrison is managing director/operations manager of Central FC (CFC) which Sancho owned. Sancho severed ties with the Club after becoming a minister.
Harrison also said Thursday there would be no preferential treatment for CFC on his part, and he would step away from any situation in which a conflict of interest arose.
Sancho said he did not see any problem with Harrison's appointment because, after receiving any advice from Harrison, he (Sancho) would still have to weigh it and make a final decision which would be his own.
He said if there was any inappropriate conduct, the contract would end. Sancho made it clear he had taken the ministerial appointment to serve the country, since the request had been made of him at this time.
Also, yesterday, CFC representatives said SIS Ltd was not the only sponsor of the club, since they had sponsorships from about 11 sponsors including Ramsingh's Sports of Couva.
Businessman Nal Ramsingh confirmed he was a sponsor of CFC, adding: "I support them...in cricket, football and sporting groups, temples and other organisations. I'm a person like that; where I can give freely or serve, I do so. I have no ulterior motives."