The first evidence hearing for the Commission of Enquiry into the Las Alturas housing project has been postponed because of insufficient witness statements being available. This was confirmed yesterday by the Justice of Appeal Mustapha Ibrahim, chairman of the Commission. This hearing that was scheduled to begin today. “When the parties appeared before me last week, some of the witnesses were either out of the country or could not be found,” Ibrahim said.
Ibrahim stated that there were numerous parties involved in the matter, each of whom need to have witness testimonies. Ibrahim said the Commission decided to postpone the hearing to an undetermined day untill all witnesses could be accounted. “We could not start the hearing of the Commission until we have the statuses in, so that we could have a global understanding instead of a partial one,” Ibrahim said.
On January 26, the Commission held its procedural hearing at the Caribbean Court of Justice, Henry Street, Port-of-Spain. The Housing Development Corporation (HDC) and the Urban Development Corporation of T&T (Udecott) are to be listed as parties to the proceedings. Ibrahim said then to be “party to the proceedings” meant that such a person was entitled to an audience before the commission, to examine and cross-examine witnesses, and make submissions.
Both sets of attorneys said at that hearing that their clients intended to co-operate with the commission, while Martin Andrews of Geotech Associates Ltd and Ian Telfer of C E Management and Services Ltd also confirmed their willingness to participate in the proceedings. Other invited to attend that hearing included Geotech Associates Ltd, C E Management and Services Ltd (CEMAS), S Kistow Engineering Services, and Planning Associates Ltd (PAL).
Pamela Elder, SC, and Jagdeo Singh, instructed by Alvin Pariagsingh are representing the commission. Vincent Nelson, QC, and Larry Lalla are representing the HDC, while Katherine Denbow appeared on behalf of Udecott.
About the enquiry
This Commission of Enquiry was set up to determine if the Housing Development Corporation (HDC), the Urban Development Corporation of T&T (Udecott) and the Ministry of Housing were at fault while constructing the Las Alturas Towers located in Lady Young Gardens, Morvant. Two multi-storey units of the Las Alturas housing project were severly damaged after construction. The towers, valued at $26 million, had to be demolished.
According to the terms of reference which sets out the areas of enquiry the three-member commission is expected to conduct into the project, the commission is expected to enquire into “the entire process which led to the construction of the Las Alturas towers at Lady Young Gardens, Morvant, and all other acts, matters or decisions done or undertaken incidental to and including the construction” of the project.
In September, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar announced a commission of enquiry into the construction of Las Alturas housing project, after raising concerns about the two towers valued $26 million, which had to be demolished. Persad-Bissessar said Dr Keith Rowley, who was a former housing minister under the PNM, as well as Emily Gaynor Dick-Forde, who succeeded him, have distanced themselves from blame.
Rowley has welcomed the probe, but said it would be another waste of millions of taxpayers’ dollars