Davidson-Celestine: Bring the evidence

PNM Tobago Council political leader Tracy Davidson-Celestine is again calling on Progressive Democratic Patriots (PDP) deputy leader Farley Augustine to produce evidence of alleged wrongdoing in the THA’s stalled zipline project.

Augustine had called on Davidson-Celestine to come clean about the project, which was initiated in 2015 at a cost of some $2.5 million, during her tenure as tourism secretary.

At a political meeting in the run up to the January 25 THA election, the PDP deputy leader produced a copy of a management letter of an Auditor General’s report for the period ending September 2016, which he claimed alluded to financial discrepancies in the project.

The zipline project was a major talking point during the campaign.

Davidson-Celestine has refused to accept blame for the stalled project, noting it barely started when she left office to take up her appointment as TT Ambassador to Costa Rica.

The Prime Minister has also stated that the Auditor General’s management letter and the substantive report did not link Davidson-Celestine to any wrongdoing in the project.

Responding to Augustine’s Facebook address on Wednesday night, in which he recapped the party’s attempts to end the six-six deadlock in the assembly, Davidson-Celestine repeated her call for him to produce evidence of corruption in the project. “It is going on two months since he has attacked my integrity and my reputation without any evidence,” she said.

“I have asked him on several occasions to produce his evidence. To date nothing has been forthcoming. I await Farley’s so-called evidence and files on me to be sent to the police as he promised.” She said Tobagonians should not believe anything the PDP says.

“Farley needs to stop trying to fool the people of Tobago with his charades. Nothing from him should be accepted since he has been less than truthful in his statements.” Davidson-Celestine added: “The public needs to decide if Farley, led by Watson (Duke) and with the heavy involvement of the UNC can be trusted.”

On the THA impasse, she said Augustine and Duke must know that they can’t bully their way into the leadership. “It’s the people who will decide.” Davidson-Celestine also accused Augustine of ‘flip-flopping’ in the PDP’s position on the THA deadlock.

“His position on the deadlock lacks consistency. His position changes daily.” She continued: “Look at how they disrespected the chamber and tried to use the law to create another dramatic episode and not understanding how to apply the THA Act and legislation to chart a path to the solution.”

Davidson-Celestine urged Tobagonians to be wary of the PDP. “Do not be fooled by the PDP’s public show of drama and antics taken from Watson’s PSA playbook. It’s all about the circus show.”