Minority Leader to Infrastructure Secretary: Come clean on contract to Trinidad company for road project

THA Minority Leader Kelvon Morris is calling on Secretary of Infrastructure, Quarries and Urban Development Trevor James to say how a contract for a road project in Tobago was awarded to a Trinidad company within 24 hours of the proposal.

Last month, Progressive Democratic Patriots (PDP) political leader Watson Duke accused the Farley Augustine-led THA of favouring Trinidad contractors over their Tobago counterparts for certain projects.

Augustine’s attorneys have since sent Duke a pre-action protocol letter accusing him of defamation.

Speaking at a Diego Martin West constituency conference last Wednesday, the Prime Minister also accused the THA of discriminating against Tobago contractors.

At a news conference at his office in Scarborough on Thursday, Morris referred to a contract the Division of Infrastructure awarded to the Charlieville-based California Stucco Company Ltd to build a road from Mt Marie to Dutch Fort Crossing Canal.

He said the award of the contract presented more questions than answers.

“This matter is one that speaks to transparency, accountability and is connected to the ongoing discussions of Tobago contractors being sidelined."

Morris told reporters it wsa tied to the discussions on people outside Tobago being sole selected and hand-picked, ""and it speaks to a level of nefarious behaviour, a level of malfeasance and a level of collusion.”