British High Commission not involved in UK investigator's work in Trinidad and Tobago

The British High Commission is disputing assertions by opposition MP Roodal Moonilal, saying it did not have any involvement in the contracting of UK firm Edmonds Marshall McMahon (EMM) to work in Trinidad and Tobago.

The commission's comments to Newsday are in response to claim Dr Moonilal made at a press conference on Tuesday. He alleged the body worked with the TT government to get the investigators.

The commission added that it "has never been involved in any way in the work undertaken by EMM in the country."

British High Commisioner Harriet Cross also posted on the X app (formerly Twitter) that the high commission had no involvement in the process.

McMahon's firm, Edmonds Marshall McMahon, was picked in 2018 to assist in investigations into fraud and corruption claims linked to half a billion dollars' worth of contracts awarded by the Estate Management and Business Development Company (EMBD) under the People's Partnership administration. Moonilal was line minister for the EMBD under the PP administration.

In the press conference, Moonilal also alleged that Kate McMahon, one of the firm's founders and investigators now working as a special reserve police officer in TT, recently met with Attorney General Reginald Armour, SC, and Minister of National Security Fitzgerald Hinds.

"Why would government ministers be meeting with a police, an SRP (special reserve police) police officer of TT, investigating opposition MPs and opposition projects when we were in government?" he asked.

However, Hinds denied this claim, describing it as "totally incorrect."

"Whilst there was a normal meeting on general matters touching issues of our national security; there was no meeting with the parties as suggested by him. Certainly, there was no meeting in which the AG was present," he said.

"What I see here is Dr Moonilal making yet another attempt to undermine the State’s investigations and matters around which he has to answer."

Moonilal said the UNC intends to write to the commission to express its concerns.