The Urban Development Corporation of Trinidad and Tobago (UDeCOTT) has been moved from the Ministry of Housing and is once again under the Office of the Prime Minister.
Dr Keith Rowley is now the line minister in charge of the State company.
The last Prime Minister with direct responsibility for UDeCOTT’s mega projects was former People’s National Movement (PNM), Patrick Manning.
According to information published in the November 22 issue of the Gazette, the Office of the President, acting on instructions from the Rowley revoked responsibility for UDeCOTT from Housing Minister Edmund Dillon and transferred it to the Office of the Prime Minister.
But just two weeks after that transfer was completed, Rowley dismissed questions about the move “misinformation”.
During the December 12 session of Parliament, Oropouche East Member of Parliament Dr Roodal Moonilal had asked Rowley directly whether he was now in charge of UDeCOTT.
Moonilal asked, “In light of the fact that Sandals was not procured through normal channels, could the Prime Minister indicate whether UDeCOTT is the project manager and UDeCOTT is under the Office of the Prime Minister”.
Rowley said Moonilal was wrong.
“Madam Speaker, I would just like to ask my colleague from Oropouche East to stop spreading misinformation. None of what he said is correct,” Rowley said.
The question was again posed by Caroni East MP Dr Tim Gopeesingh but he was shot down by the Speaker of the House.
When Manning was line minister for UDeCOTT is was managed by Calder Hart and Rowley was sanctioned, by having his Ministerial portfolio revoked, by Manning for speaking out about Hart’s alleged mismanagement of the State resources under UDeCOTT.
In March 2010, two months before the general election, Hart suddenly quit as executive chairman of UDeCOTT after documents linking him to a company that the UDeCOTT board awarded an $820 million in contracts surfaced. Hart left the country with his family.
Guardian Media asked Rowley about the move and also what he planned to do differently from Manning to ensure that UDeCOTT does not make the same mistakes. He did not respond to texts or calls.
Guardian Media also reached out to UDeCOTT chairman, Noel Garcia, but he too did not respond to calls or texts seeking comment.