Noel Garcia’s appearance at the sixth session of the Las Alturas Commission of Enquiry is being eagerly awaited as the enquiry resumes today.
Garcia, chairman of the Urban Development Corporation of T&T, has been ordered to testify at the start of the new session which takes place from today to February 26, according to an advertisement published last Thursday. Last month, Garcia turned up at the Caribbean Court of Justice, Henry Street, Port-of-Spain, during the last session with his attorney Colin Kangaloo.
Two summonses had been issued in June and July last year for Garcia to attend and give evidence but were not served as he was then living and working in Ghana. Lead attorney for the Housing Development Corporation (HDC), Queen’s Counsel Vincent Nelson had informed the commission that Garcia had declined to submit a witness statement when contacted. Garcia was a former managing director at the HDC.
Also expected to be addressed during this session is an application by attorneys representing Geotech Associates Limited objecting to the filing of a supplemental witness statement by a former expert witness for the HDC, Frank Arland. HDC’s attorney Larry Lalla told the commission last month that the geotechnical engineer from the US would be recalled to respond to parts of the testimony by Martin Andrews of GA. Arland’s response is expected to be done via video link.
Objecting to Arland’s supplemental witness statement being submitted, Andrews’ attorney Justin Phelps argued that Arland had already been cross-examined. Although Ibrahim agreed to grant Phelps leave to cross-examine Arland on the supplemental witness statement during the fifth session, which ended on January 29, that was not dealt with.
The commission was appointed by President Anthony Carmona in December 2014 to investigate if there was any criminal or civil liability associated with the housing development at Lady Young Gardens, Morvant. Months earlier, then prime minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar called for the enquiry after several structural issues with the project surfaced leading to two multi-storey apartment buildings being earmarked for demolition. The commission is chaired by retired Appeal Court Judge Mustapha Ibrahim.
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The commission was appointed by President Anthony Carmona in December 2014 to investigate if there was any criminal or civil liability associated with the housing development at Lady Young Gardens, Morvant. Months earlier, then prime minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar called for the enquiry after several structural issues with the project surfaced leading to two multi-storey apartment buildings being earmarked for demolition. IS is chaired by retired Appeal Court Judge Mustapha Ibrahim.