Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar said a forensic audit is to be carried out into the award of scholarships under the former PNM Government. She said an Equal Opportunity Commission (EOC) report on the matter is to be sent to the Integrity Commission and the Director of Public Prosecutions for consideration and determination. During her contribution she reminded Manning of his previous statement that "jail eh nice." She accused the Government of discriminating against citizens of this country in its scholarship fund under the then Ministry of Community Development. She said that was based on a July 2011 finding by the Equal Opportunity Commission after a matter was taken to it by former president of Gopio, Devant Maharaj, in 2009. Maharaj is now Transport Minister.
Persad-Bissessar said under the programme seven per cent of East Indians were awarded scholarships while 93 per cent were non-Indians. Persad-Bissessar said scholarships were awarded not on a needs basis but on the basis of recommendations from ministers, including then prime minister Patrick Manning. She displayed a copy of one such application, which was addressed to then minister Joan Yuille-Williams. She said Manning wrote at the top of the application: "Please handle this quietly." Government MPs responded with: "What? What? Shame!" She also read out part of another application from the daughter of former SUATT director, Brigadier Peter Joseph, in which Manning said: "Does not qualify under needy. However, some assistance is recommended."