Darryl Smith report under review, procedural issues

COMMUNICATIONS Minister Stuart Young says a report on former minister Darryl Smith was still under review but accused former transport minister Devant Maharaj of misinformation and lies regarding his statements on two other Government reports.

He was speaking on Thursday at the post-Cabinet media conference held at the Diplomatic Centre, St Ann's.

He referred to an article in another daily newspaper on Wednesday quoting Maharaj proclaiming victory on a High Court judgment ordering the Port Authority of TT to turn over documents related to the acquisition of vessels for the seabridge.

Maharaj said: "To date, several reports are still being hidden by this Government. The Christian Mouttet report is not public, the Darryl Smith report (regarding a committee appointed to investigate the dismissal of former sport minister Smith’s personal assistant, Carrie-Ann Moreau and a settlement paid to her) is not public, and the Christopher Thomas report regarding the OAS matter is still not public."

Young, on Thursday, said a draft of a Smith report was produced and the Attorney General then sought legal advice on how it was compiled.

"There was some procedural issues in the compilation of the report. Mr Smith and other persons who were named in the report are affected by those procedural issues. The Attorney General sought advice of external counsel and that is currently under review."

Young said, at this stage, there could be no publication of that report because it was currently under legal advice with procedural issues "and if it were published there would be very detrimental effects to the nature of the proceedings and the issues."

Young said the claim Government was hiding things and was not being transparent was false as the media would be aware. He said both the Thomas and Mouttet reports were available on the Parliament website; Newsday checks found the Thomas report was available but the Mouttet report had not been posted on the site but was available from Parliament communications.