The Opposition United National Congress yesterday challenged Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley and Works and Transport Minister Rohan Sinanan to say who is corrupt, following the audit on the Secondary Road Rehabilitation and Improvement Company (SRRIC).
Commenting on the Sunday Guardian article on the audit, Opposition MP Rudranath Indarsingh said the Prime Minister had created a narrative that there was no corruption in his Government.
“The Prime Minister has been on a tirade all over T&T, telling the country there has been no corruption in his Government. He’s boasted when he went to, I think, Tropical Angel Harps panyard in Enterprise, he challenged T&T in his usual aggressive out of control style to say ‘Show me who is corrupt in my Government’.
“I’m asking the Prime Minister (when) he returns from teeing off in Ireland and the golf courses there, to clear the air on allegations of price-fixing, bid rigging on road work and the audit into the (SRRIC) underway. Prime Minister, we want you to clear the air on who is corrupt and why did Herbert George resign as SRRIC chairman?”
Indarsingh added, “Minister Rohan Sinanan, he too can come forward and clear the air on allegations of bid-rigging and price fixing, because they’ve been up and down the road... This is a gentleman who claims he has knowledge how many $100 bills could fit in a Carib case. I don’t know how he gathered that kind of financial experience and expertise. But he too can clear the air.”
On Sunday it was revealed that the chairman of the Secondary Road Rehabilitation and Improvement Company Limited (SRRIC) resigned, an audit is being conducted by the Ministry of Finance into the company’s process, and a complaint for investigation has been filed at the Office of Procurement Regulation (OPR) into allegations of collusion, price-fixing, and bid-rigging.
Herbert George, the former chairman of SRRIC, confirmed his resignation. He remains chairman of two other State enterprises under the Ministry of Works and Transport: the National Infrastructure Development Company Limited (NIDCO) and National Quarries (NQ).
There is also reportedly some tension between the chief executive of the company, Antonio Ross, and its line ministry, the Ministry of Works and Transport (MOWT).
Projects have been at a standstill as no new funds have been released from the Ministry of Finance as the audit is underway.
The SRRIC has used $70 million of the $100 million that was injected to capitalise the company when it was set up in 2022.
The Sunday Guardian reported that when SRRIC was moved to MOWT, one of the issues raised was the fact that new contracts were issued, although the entity had been instructed not to do so.
In August 2022, Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley announced the establishment of the State entity, the SRRIC.
During his 2023–2024 Budget contribution, Finance Minister Colm Imbert said of the new company the SRRIC, “Our road infrastructure, which had deteriorated during the pandemic when resources were redirected to the health sector, would now undergo a major repair and rehabilitation exercise.”