00:00Commenting on a ruling by the Court of Appeal to State Eastman Enterprises test case in relation to its dismissed injunction
00:07and finding that the referral of the case to the DPP was wrong,
00:11Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister Barry Padarat says a new development has been brought to his attention.
00:16The information coming to me from CPEP yesterday evening was that there are regional managers
00:24that were hired by the former administration that are alleged to have removed several key files
00:30involving the matters that are before the courts right now regarding contractors.
00:35I am advised that between today and tomorrow there will be intervention by the Trinidad-Tobago Police Service.
00:43Padarat says this intervention will in part be to secure the files that are at CPEP at this time
00:48as well as to probe into what has transpired.
00:51And finding out why some of those files were removed.
00:56I respect the ruling of the appellate judges.
01:00It is not the final ruling because we do have the opportunity to challenge this at the Privy Council.
01:08I am in touch with the chairman of CPEP as well as our advocate, who is senior counsel, Anand Ramlogan,
01:14who is still abroad at the Privy Council.
01:16We feel very comfortable in the actions that we have taken.
01:19But what we are a bit uncomfortable with is why files are being moved out hurriedly.
01:24He states that some of the files are directly related to some of the contractors
01:28and some of the matters that were to be referred for the DPP's deliberation.
01:32Nonetheless, Padarat says that it will abide by the appeal court's ruling,
01:36which in essence places a hold on that aspect of the matter.
01:40As for what's next?
01:42I'm waiting for legal advice on this matter,
01:45but I have a lawyer to Trinidad and Tobago Police Service, the Minister of National Security,
01:50as it relates to these files that are being removed from CPEP over the last couple of weeks.
01:55And you have to ask why.
01:57Why are these files being removed surreptitiously?
02:00Why are these files being removed after hours at CPEP?
02:03And it only has to do with specific contractors that were hired just before the general election.
02:09Padarat says someone must be held accountable.
02:12The People's National Movement has also responded to the appeal court ruling,
02:16noting the state to allow for dispute resolution,
02:19and the setting aside of the order by High Court Judge Margaret Mohamed
02:22for the Register of the High Court to forward the documents to the DPP
02:26on what they called untested evidence relating to people who are not before the court.
02:32The appeal court judge also said that if the matter is to be continued,
02:36it should be placed before another judge.
02:38The PNM says, quote,
02:39This unanimous judgment of the Court of Appeal represents a major reversal
02:43of certain aspects of the rulings in the Eastman matter to date.
02:47The People's National Movement is considering the next steps,
02:50as may be advised by our attorneys in the matter.
02:54End quote.
02:56End quote.
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