PNM Senator Foster Cummings is discrediting claims in a newspaper article that his family benefitted from over fifteen million dollars in State contracts, shortly before the general election. While not providing proof to the contrary, Cummings said his family businesses have been in business with the State, long before he entered politics. Rynessa Cutting has more.
00:00I give the assurance again at this point in time, as I did earlier, that at no point in time as minister in the government of Trinidad and Tobago have I acted dishonorably or acted in a way to benefit my family or my family businesses.
00:14Former government minister Foster Cummings is dismissing assertions of impropriety leveled against him and his family over the award of millions in state contracts.
00:25Over the weekend, a newspaper published an article alleging that companies owned by Cummings' family benefited from over $15 million in HGC contracts mere days before the general election.
00:38However, Cummings notes they were contract renewals, as the original award of contracts predate his time in government.
00:47Instanzitry, companies being Cummings & Associates Company Limited, which was registered on 24th of September 1998,
00:56PICAL Services Limited, which was registered on 11th of October 2002,
01:02and Riverlet Investment Group Limited, which was registered on 20th of March 2012.
01:07These companies started work with then the National Housing Authority way back in the 1990s
01:18and continued with the Housing Development Corporation, which succeeded the National Housing Authority thereafter.
01:27That none of those contracts started during my term as a minister.
01:34Cummings laments that his family is now under attack.
01:48That my family has been the subject of hate, emails, vicious, racial attacks.
01:57I wish to completely reject the notion that having family involved in business should disqualify one from public service in the Parliament or in the Cabinet.
02:08It has not disqualified past nor current politicians from serving.
02:13Meantime, PNM Senator Faraz al-Rawi, who has had to recuse himself dozens of times under the previous Parliament,
02:22says a line must be drawn between perception and reality,
02:25noting that legislation like the Procurement Act and Integrity in Public Life Act
02:30exists to provide provisions against corrupt practices.
02:34Mr. Eli Zakour, somebody who I have a lot of regard for as well, I know his family well, etc.
02:40Mr. Eli Zakour has two or three gas stations from NP, right?
02:45So by that standard, Mr. Zakour must ensure, hypothetically,
02:50that there is a direction from the Ministry of Transport, right?
02:53So what happens if any car from the Ministry of Transport turns up at his gas station?
03:02What happens if a PTSD bus buys gas at any of his gas stations?
03:08What happens if any member of the Ministry of Trade goes and buys Sasha Cosmetics?
03:14They must walk in and wipe off their face and take off the lipstick and go by Sasha?
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