The situation between Pa-trick and Keith Rowley is developing into more than a tiff about alleged corruption into UDeCOTT. Not that we disbelieve Rowley, of course. The people involved in UDeCOTT have proven track records of illicit and incomparable money spending.
"The matter became fairly contentious, following presentations by UDeCOTT's Calder Hart and Professor Ken Julien," Manning said.
Calder Hart and Ken Julien? Isn't Ken Julien the one with the open cheque book to the Treasury, via UTT? That name alone brings up visions of foreign (offshore) bank accounts.
So yes, Rowley may well be right to be concerned.
For long months, the Commission's investigations, led by the ex-Special Branch policeman, was denied access to UTT's books and accounting records. And even after investigators were finally allowed access to some of the books, they were barred from interviewing UTT staff.
The Julien-run UTT has so far failed to account to parliament on the use of hundreds of millions worth of public funds.
On the other hand, I see Pa-trick is citing "wajang" behaviour (“wajang” - a rowdy, uncouth person) on the part of Rowley. I don't know, I mean a man who'd pelt a teacup at another parliamentarian might well be capable of that sort of behaviour. Then again, he wasn't fired for being involved in common assault and racist name calling in Parliament of all places, so to be fired over taking Hart, Julien and UDeCOTT to task might indeed be suspicious to say the least.
And another thing:
"I'm a Christian...There's no personal animosity between Dr Rowley and myself," Manning said.
Hmm, does this mean he is above everyone else in ethics, morals etc?
As one reader who commented in the Daily Express says, maybe Pa-trick has evidence against Rowley in the Landate affair - that still has not been settled to any definite solution. The IC cocked up big time when it proceeded to investigate Rowley and did not give him a chance to air his side of the story, but having said that, there is/was no need to shut down the entire affair. In fact the IC did more than discriminate against Rowley - they involved Pa-trick.
So maybe the gravel did get moved after all, and Pa-trick decides that a man who moving like Moonan may well not be in a position to cast stones or teacups at Hart and Julien.
Having said all of this, I hold no brief for Rowley or any of those persons Manning 'sacked'. They were all quite contented to be part of the problem. The only time they publicly speak out about the problems many of us speak about daily is when they get dismissed. So if Rowley and others who got dismissed intend to speak out about the lack of transparency and accountability in how the government spends our money then people should try to focus on those serious issues.
Heru
Still, all this tells me is that my ideas of Trinidad getting a lot worse before it gets better are correct. From high food prices, non-existent policing, and other problems, we can see that we are just a step away from the other place - Trinidad isn't a paradise anymore. Well, it can't be if a Christian is running it.
