00:00Minister in the office of the Prime Minister, Bari Padarath, has taken to social media to back up his claims that the Prime Minister's residence is unfit for her habitation.
00:12Via Facebook Live today, the Minister put the head of the household on the spot to testify that it will take millions to be brought up to par.
00:20Is it inaccurate to say that when we arrived here on Monday, compared to what we are seeing here today, it's a total variation?
00:29A request for funding would have been made to address these issues, $5 million, and that would take care of the general upgrade, furniture and fittings, and linens, towels, as such.
00:54And to modernize, this facility is 19 years old, and it's been maintained, it's not been upgraded.
01:05Padarath's video was made in response to one posted by former Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley, which showed the interior of the residence.
01:14There was no date stamp on the video.
01:16However, Padarath says that Dr. Rowley's video was doctored and manipulated, as he took the opportunity to invite the former Prime Minister to visit the residence, to collect some alleged belongings.
01:29This is just some of it.
01:32Former Prime Minister used to like to talk about who should drink rum and get out of their face.
01:36I want to encourage the Prime Minister to take that same advice this morning.
01:40You can come and collect this at the office of the Prime Minister or the Prime Minister's residence.
01:43Padarath also accused Dr. Rowley of putting the Prime Minister at risk by publishing the walkthrough video of the interior of the residence.
01:53Meantime, Udicott says the security scanners at the Prime Minister's official residence and diplomatic centre in St. Anne's are in fact functional, contrary to MP Padarath's claims.
02:05In a press statement dated May 7th, Udicott says the walkthrough scanner and handheld scanners at the official residence of the Prime Minister are fully operational.
02:17However, Udicott acknowledges that the electronic baggage scanner is currently scheduled for repair.
02:23During his Facebook Live today, Padarath also took aim at Udicott.
02:27Udicott has come out to say that only one scanner is done, and that is the baggage scanner.
02:32But I'm not surprised by Udicott and their utterances, because many of them inside of Udicott, they are agents of the People's National Movement.
02:42This is the main area where, when people come in, that they have to go through a security system and a security arrangement.
02:49I stopped here before I went to the residence this morning.
02:54You will notice that there is no beeping, there is no lights, there is no functionality when you walk to the pedestrian scanner.
02:59It does not work. It is down.
03:03In its May 7th statement, Udicott further noted that while the baggage scanner is currently scheduled for repair,
03:09there has been, quote, seamless transition by the TTPS's special branch unit in conducting physical checks of all bags entering the premises.
03:20Renessa Cutting, TV6 News.
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