Former Urban Development Corporation of T&T (Udecott) CEO, Winston Agard, yesterday testified while some contracts for consulting services awarded by the corporation went through a formal process, the consultants for the Las Alturas Housing project was awarded solely by former executive chairman Calder Hart.
Agard told members of the enquiry Hart was responsible for the selection of consultants for the project.
Agard was employed by Udecott between August 2001 and September 2005.
Asked about the process for purchasing sites for housing projects, Agard said the decisions were not up to him.
“I was not involved. The matter was dealt with at board level. I was not involved in negotiations or asked to give advice,” Agard told the commission.
Agard said the consultancy firm, Planning Associates Ltd (PAL), chosen by Hart, later hired Geotech Associates.
He said a report from the company did not raise concerns or problems about the site.
He said, however, that public consultations were held by Town and Country Planning.
Agard said the initial application to Town and Country Planning sought approvals for 130 units to be built on the property.
However, there was a resubmission for 300 units shortly after.
Asked by chairman of the commission, Mustapha Ibrahim, whether or not he had raised questions on the increase in the number of units, Agard said he did not.
He said Town and Country had specifically reserved the area where the land slippage occurred in the development as open space.
Agard said the two, now condemned, buildings constructed by the Housing Development Corporation (HDC) were built on the area reserved as open space.
The two buildings were not originally a part of the scope of works.
Agard said he knew nothing about the site after he left Udecott in 2005.
He was asked if he felt the area was suitable for construction.
“A part of the site was not economically suitable for the construction project,” Agard said.
He explained that work could have been done on the vulnerable part of the site but it would have been costly.