Housing Minister Marlene McDonald has firmly denied allegations made Thursday by Housing Development Corporation (HDC) Allocations Manager Lauren Legall that she requested a file for HDC customer Michael Carew.
Carew is reportedly McDonald’s romantic partner.
On Thursday, Legall wrote a letter to the HDC and copied it to the Integrity Commission and the Commissioner of Police detailing claims that McDonald had made direct inquiries regarding the deed for a Fidelis Heights property which Carew purchased in 2008.
The letter was in response to a request by the HDC’s human resource department for Legall to return Mr Carew’s file which she had taken in November.
In her letter, Legall said she did not have the file but felt it was appropriate to inform the Integrity Commission of McDonald’s inquiries as she was not accustomed to a minister taking personal interest in a particular client.
Legall’s move follows Opposition Senator Wayne Sturge’s referral of McDonald to the Integrity Commission earlier this week.
Sturge’s documents which included a copy of a cheque paid to the HDC by Carew as well as Carew’s bank statement, also contained correspondence from Odette Alexander, who was advisor to the then Housing Minister Emily Dick-Forde, requesting an allocation of a house for Carew, allegedly on McDonald’s behalf.
Legall was one of several HDC senior managers who were sent on administrative leave in December after the board ordered an independent audit into the state agency.
In a telephone interview on Thursday night, McDonald described Legall as “disingenuous.”
“I never, ever requested any file of Lauren Legall. Never did. She’s most disingenuous. I never did,” McDonald said.
“There seems to be a momentum to go on and on and on. I have no further comments to give after tonight because I just find this whole thing is just a wild goose chase.”
McDonald went on to say that some people believed that the HDC was their private fiefdom.
“Those days are over. We have a lot to do in this country as a Government.
“The PM spoke on Tuesday night I was on vacation. I took time out of my vacation to sit and listen to the Prime Minister to see the magnitude of work that I have to do in the HDC.”
McDonald said the HDC belonged to the people of T&T, not to any particular individual .
“I am going to carry out the mandate of my Government fearlessly and I would say not only fearlessly but in a transparent manner.
“I am not going to be sidetracked and I am not going to leave my focus. This is 2016. The people have voted us in and too bad for those who are annoyed about it.”
THE ACT STATES:
Sturge’s letter to the commission on Monday requested an investigation into whether McDonald had breached specific sections of the Integrity in Public Life Act.
Those sections are as follows.
Section 24 of the Act states-
A person to whom this Part applies shall ensure that he performs his functions and administers the public resources for which he is responsible in an effective and efficient manner and shall-
(a) be fair and impartial in exercising his public duty
(b) afford no undue preferential treatment to any group or individual
(c) arrange his private interests whether pecuniary or otherwise in such a manner as to maintain public confidence and trust in his integrity.
Section 24 (2) A person to whom this Part applies shall not-
(a) use his office for the improper advancement of his own or his family’s personal or financial interests or the interests of any person
(b) engage in any transaction, acquire any position or have any commercial or other interest that is incompatible with his office, function and duty or the discharge thereof
(d) directly or indirectly use his office for personal gain.
Section 26 of the Act provides
“A person to whom this Part applies shall not use his office to seek to influence a decision made by another person or public body to further his own private interests.”