Padarath backs down

JULIEN NEAVES

PRINCES Town MP Barry Padarath claimed Laventille West MP Fitzgerald Hinds had a case in the public domain for encroaching on his neighbour’s land, but he withdrew the statement after interventions by the Government bench and the Deputy Speaker.

He made the claim while contributing to debate in the Parliament yesterday on a bill to amend the Land Adjudication Act.

Hinds immediately jumped to his feet and said he had no matter before the court and said Padarath should be taken before the Privileges Committee. “Twisted as usual,” Hinds added.

Deputy Speaker Esmond Forde advised Padarath to “be careful of the road you are going down” and then the Government bench called on Padarath to withdraw the statement.

Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi then stood on standing order 48:6 (imputing improper motives) and asked Forde for a ruling.

Forde then called on Padarath to withdraw the statement or to tie in the statement with the bill.

Padarath withdrew the comment.

He said Hinds had misrepresented the facts on Super Industrial Services (SIS) Limited Trinidad; Hinds had said in his earlier contribution the SIS matter would have to be settled with the new adjudication officer in the legislation being debated.

Padarath said, in the Hansard of March 2015 it was reported the Estate Management Business Development Company confirmed SIS was not squatting on 35 acres of land but was paying rent.

He also reported staffing of land surveyors was 15 out of a total of 60, the office of land surveyors at the nearby Dock Road was a “sick building” which floods when it rains and the electrical wiring were on the floor and exposed, and he stressed this was the implementation agency for the new legislation.