Judge orders contractor to repay $.8m

A judge yesterday called for all claims on the public purse to be reviewed in light of close to $1 million being kept by a contractor which belonged to a regional corporation that had paid the money for work that was never done.

Justice Frank Seepersad ordered Heralal Rampadarth to return $897,307.18 to the Mayaro/Rio Claro Regional Corporation because he was unjustly enriched.

Evidence in a lawsuit the corporation filed against Rampadarth was that he did not perform his obligations with regard to a contract between him and the corporation back in 2013.

Presiding in the San Fernando High Court yesterday, when he delivering a written rulingr, Seepersad commented that a culture of lawlessness, corruption and misguided views of entitlements prevailed in TT and must not be condoned. The corporation awarded Rampadarth a contract to clean the Mayaro market for three years. The corporation claimed that although he was paid, the market’s stalls, walls and floor were not washed or sanitised and rubbish not dealt with.

In his judgement yesterday, Justice Seepersad said whilst Rampadarth’s attorneys filed an appearance on his behalf, no defence had been filed up to minutes before the delivery of his ruling. In the corporation’s claim, the judge said, Rampadarth acknowledged he was overpaid and expressed a commitment to repay the excess.

He then ordered that the $897,307.18 be repaid to the corporation, plus interest, starting from yesterday. Attorney Cheika Anthony, instructed by Anore Sinanan, represented the corporation. Rampadarth was ordered to pay the corporation’s legal costs of $50,598.60.