00:00Rupo G. Stampi, Dr. Rudal Munilal, a former Minister of Housing, said the UNC-led People's
00:05Partnership Administration, to which he belonged, is vindicated and its governance credentials
00:11are unshaken following the ruling by the Privy Council, dated Tuesday, October 29th, against
00:16the State Management Business Development Company Limited in its legal battle with the
00:21Junior Sammy Contractors Limited over payment owed to the contractor.
00:26The Privy Council, which is based in London, is Trinidad and Tobago's highest court of
00:30appeal.
00:31The Privy Council ruled on Tuesday that the EMBD has failed to demonstrate that the potential
00:36defences of abatement or fraud are more than fanciful or speculative.
00:40Dr. Munilal had spoken about the Privy Council's ruling during an event in commemoration of
00:45Diwali held at the Debe Junction on Tuesday night.
00:49Today we have seen a victory of light over darkness and in that judgment the Privy Council
00:55five law lords without one dissenting ruling ruled that the case of the EMBDC in a similar
01:04matter that involved the fake cartel arrangement case, in that case they ruled that the EMBDC
01:11had absolutely no case, they made no case and they threw them out of London, they chased
01:18them out this morning when they made a claim against a particular contractor.
01:22Dr. Munilal then linked the Privy Council's ruling on Tuesday to another civil matter
01:27involving the state owned company.
01:30It was a great victory because it means that the EMBDC that is making a similar argument
01:37against your own member of parliament, their case has been destroyed already this morning
01:43because they could not bring the evidence.
01:45They could not bring the proof to prove those several nefarious and scandalous allegations
01:52that they are claiming against contractors.
01:55They have spent over a hundred million dollars in these court matters.
02:00During his media conference on Wednesday, Attorney General Reginald Moore did not give
02:04details about the exact amount of money the state has spent on those matters but did speak
02:09about the civil matter involving the opposition MP.
02:12The EMBDC has been prudent and responsible and has not wasted taxpayers' money as certain
02:18persons who I shall not continue to name because I have to call them honourable in pursuing
02:25these matters.
02:27In the pursuit of the cartel claim, which the defendants, Dr. Munilal included, are
02:31now ordered to put in their defences, the EMBDC will continue to pursue its claim to
02:36recover in excess of $300 million for the taxpayers of this country.
02:43And the Attorney General did not stop there.
02:45And I want to go on record to thank the Chairman, Mr. Rony Mohamed, and all the attorneys who
02:50have so far laboured long and hard in the vineyard and will continue to do so to bring
02:56home that $300 million claim.
02:59The Privy Council ruled on Tuesday that Junior Sammy Contractors Limited is entitled to sue
03:04the EMBDC for $77.6 million and that, accordingly, the lower courts correctly entered summary
03:11judgement in favour of the contractor in the amount of $82.8 million.
03:16Julie Brown, TV6 News.
Comments