AG: I had no role in Chinese housing contract

Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi
Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi

Attorney General (AG) Faris Al-Rawi says his office was not required to review the contract awarded to China Gezhouba Group International Engineering Company Ltd (CGGC) and the Housing Development Corporation (HDC) for constructing 5,000 housing units.

The contract was terminated, the Prime Minister said on September 5, after it was extensively reviewed by Cabinet.

“HDC has been instructed to go back out to tender," Dr Rowley said, "because there were some parts of that contract which did not meet the Cabinet’s acceptance and approval, structurally and legalistically. So that contract has been stopped.

“We are not going forward with it in the way in which it was produced.”

Al-Rawi on Thursday said the relevant authorities were doing the necessary work and there was no requirement for the AG’s office to get involved.

“Cabinet approved a framework agreement that basically says TT and China will do certain things which can fall within a framework agreement. That is a Ministry of Foreign Affairs product," he said at the sod-turning for the Skinner Park redevelopment project in San Fernando.

“The HDC engaged in certain discussions as a statutory corporate entity with the Chinese contract and that would be a matter that the HDC speaks to.

“The Attorney General has no role, function or purpose in vetting any of those arrangements because it is not an Attorney General or Cabinet position.”

The rationale behind the termination, he said, was that “there could be a better value for money position.”

HDC has said its board acted legally in awarding the contract.

“This contract was executed legally and was conducted with the authority of the board, who acted within their remit,” it said.

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"AG: I had no role in Chinese housing contract"

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