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CCNTV6
  • 5 months ago
The Attorney General is to look into some transactions at the HDC, Rynessa Cutting has more.
Transcript
00:00I have in my hands here a document that I spoke with the attorney general about earlier
00:08that I am supposed to put in his hands after.
00:13It has names that I cannot call in here, in this house,
00:18but you would get the information because it is a signed statement
00:22of a senior member of the Housing Development Corporation.
00:28The three ministers assigned to the Ministry of Housing are putting in investigative work
00:33and have already uncovered what they say are a number of questionable dealings at the HTC,
00:39which they claim to be validated by a senior official at the corporation.
00:44Among the concerns, massive temporary hirings just before the general election,
00:49as indicated in the anonymous senior official's report.
00:52During the temporary employment period,
00:55the managing director continued engaging with the Human Resource Department
01:00to hire additional employees,
01:04increasing the total from 600 to 2,300 temporary workers.
01:12The workers were said to be hired in March and April of this year
01:15for a project called the Community Internship Program 2025,
01:19in which the workers were to do rehabilitation works on HTC rental units.
01:26Upon receiving instructions from the managing director
01:29regarding the ongoing increase in temporary employees,
01:33I was directed to find work for them.
01:38I communicated with the managing director about the lack of materials
01:41and actual tasks for them to undertake.
01:46However, she informed me that these instructions
01:52had been issued by two then-government ministers
01:58and other PNM ministers overseeing marginal constituencies
02:04and that it was her directive to ensure the execution.
02:09However, Alexander says the projects did not materialize
02:12as the HTC lacked the funding for the program.
02:15Mr. President,
02:18these workers
02:20were not gainfully employed
02:24in HTC work
02:26and were used for political purposes
02:30paid through the HTC
02:33and that bill is now due and owing.
02:37Alexander says the former government
02:39ought never to ask
02:40where the current government
02:41will be getting funds to run the country.
02:44It's almost like they're provoking us
02:47to come out and say,
02:48you have the money,
02:51give it back.
02:53Renessa Cutting, TV6 News.
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