Daniel: Call Life Sport enquiry now

EDUCATOR Adolphus Daniel wants a public enquiry into the now highly controversial Life Sport Programme.

In a two-page media release on Friday, Daniel, who received $34 million for teaching he did not do because the programme was scrapped earlier than planned, said he now has the time to devote to the programme.

The programme – the brainchild of former sports minister Anil Roberts – was found to be fraught with corruption and was shut down by then prime minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar following an audit conducted by the Ministry of Finance in July 2014.

In his release, Daniel said Life Sport was an important opportunity that was missed with the country paying a “heavy price” that being grieving families thanks to murders and increased crimes. Daniel said the country needs to know the truth about Life Sport and the role of the various players.

“The greater good of Life Sport was buried under the greed of just a few. The truth is there were concerned professionals who were working in the Life Sport Programme with and without pay and were devoted and fully committed to country.”

He added: “The country needs to know the truth about Life Sport and the roles of the various players including myself. Therefore, let those in public office, who say they care and who continue to demonise Life Sport at every opportunity, call a public inquiry. Call it now! I have time and let the chips fall where they may.”

He called on TT to shed their political blinkers and face reality. Part of this reality is his PILLA Math Phase 1 curriculum which he said is getting international acclaim. The programme came after 12 years of research and development. He said his work suffered as a result of the Life Sport scandal but he remained focused and managed to persevere to present the curriculum to the world.

Daniel’s estranged wife is awaiting judgment in a lawsuit she filed against High Court Judge Joseph Tam in settling her divorce. Ingrid Daniel, who is being represented by attorneys Christophe Rodriguez, Akiri Heath-Adams and Elena Da Silva-Ottley, is claiming that Tam has breached her constitutional rights in his failure to finalise her divorce settlement.

In her application filed in the High Court on Friday, Ingrid Daniel said the delays awee so excessive that she was unable to obtain benefits from the divorce to which she should have been entitled, and the delay was an “affront to family justice.”

The $34 million Daniel received from Life Sport is also part of the divorce claim as his wife sought for and received permission to add the sum to her claims. In her claim, Daniel said the matrimonial assets amounted to $33,150,000 outside of the Life Sport funds.

In 2004, she filed for divorce which was first heard by then high court judge, now Appeal Court judge Maureen Rajnauth-Lee, who transferred it to Justice Malcolm Holdip who recused himself. Tam was then appointed to preside over the matter.

In 2008, Tam varied the orders made by Rajnauth-Lee regarding maintenance to both Daniel and the couple’s youngest child and fixed a trial date to begin in January the following year. The trial was concluded that year and Tam reserved his decision in the judgment, which to date he has not provided.

On December 14 the Prime Minister, in a release from his office, said Persad-Bissesar went against proper advice and “irresponsibly released a faulty report” regarding Life Sport which he said derailed the investigation and resulted in a successful court challenge by Roberts. He said her action had resulted in huge costs to taxpayers following legal action by Roberts.