Housing Development Corporation (HDC) chairman Newman George has denied that he violated any policy in dealing with correspondence from former MP Jack Warner concerning housing requests for several people.
George has also denied that he had any ulterior motive concerning Warner in the matter.
George commented on the issue last Friday following social media airing of the correspondence which Warner sent to him in April asking for help for people who need HDC homes and George’s subsequent reply.
According to the email, George passed the information from Warner to acting HDC managing director, Brent Lyons, stating: “Can you please put this in train and let me notify Mr Warner as we may need him in the future for assistance...”
Opposition MP Roodal Moonilal on Thursday said a request will be made to the Integrity Commission to probe the matter since George “violated” the Integrity in Public Life law.
“....The situation speaks of alleged corruption in the housing sector, politicisation and breach of law. I expect Mr George to clarify this matter soonest in the public interest—and what did he mean that they may ‘need’ Warner in future for ‘assistance’?” Moonilal added.
The issue
The issue involves an April 5, 2016, correspondence from George to HDC acting managing director Brent Lyons on the subject of “HDC requests.”
Enclosed was an April 4, 2016, correspondence from Warner with the subject also being “HDC requests,” plus a list of people.
Warner’s correspondence stated, “Chairman, I do hereby send to you the attached list as requested. The former Minister did agree to the immediate allocation of the undermentioned persons as numbered in the list.”
The “undermentioned” were names of two men and two women.
Warner’s letter also stated “Your former Minister” had advised Warner of a person “of your Ministry” who would advise applicants on their approvals.
Warner added, “Chairman, I shall be eternally grateful if you can use your good office to assist.”
Warner’s letter also stated that another person had advised there were two houses in Greenvale which have “been unoccupied for an inconsiderable length of time.” He gave three addresses.
Warner also stated, “Finally, there are some police officers who are also in dire need of housing, but this shall form the basis of a separate advice.”
The correspondence from George to Lyons in which Warner’s correspondence was enclosed stated, “Can you please put this in train and let me notify Mr Warner as we may need him in the future for assistance, thanks.”
Contacted, George said, “Since I became chairman, I’ve received much communication— texts, WhatsApp, correspondence—from people from all over. I try my best to respond to all. Some want houses—I invite them to come in and apply.
“In instances where people have reference numbers I refer correspondence to the acting managing director—I don’t deal with it. As I understand the standard practice, the matter is referred to allocation staff. I send it to the acting MD and he forwards it to them. They will likely call people with reference numbers.
“In the case of Warner’s letter, he made representation for several people and he had numbers. All I did was send this on to the acting MD to follow the process. I’m an honest, straightforward person. I never said to the acting MD to give this request any preference. I can only facilitate the process. I haven’t told anyone to allow anybody to jump the line.”
George said he knew that only the minister can make a recommendation, and not he.
“What I did was simply facilitate the passing on of information to staff—I made no recommendation. I cannot allocate any house. Allocations division involves the staff which interviews people and does case analysis.”
George was asked what he meant—or intended—from the line in his mail to Lyons on Warner’s letter, “Can you please put this in train and let me notify Mr Warner as we may need him in the future for assistance, thanks.” He replied, “I meant nothing at all sinister—be assured of that....why I wrote it?....it doesn’t signify any plan or intention. I had no ulterior motive or agenda.”
Acknowledging the line sounded as though it implied “something,” he said: “Mr Warner, like other past MPs and heads of various community organisations who’ve asked for assistance on behalf of citizens, are considered ‘useful’ only in so far as a link to or advocate for a large number of people within their communities.
“Any reference to the past MP and his ‘usefulness’ is only in that general context and nothing more. I certainly didn’t mean it in the way some might interpret...I’m not in politics, I’m a retired civil engineer.”
Moonilal: I’m shocked
Moonilal, meanwhile, said: “I’m shocked at the scandalous revelation of this correspondence as it speaks to political and legal wrongdoing. I call on the Housing Minister to clarify whether he’s a part of such a breach of policy and the law.
“Cabinet Note 2730 (September 25, 2005) states policy on how homes are distributed—a percentage to protective officers, public officers, differently abled and the minister has discretion to recommend.
“There’s established cabinet policy on allocation and where the minister makes recommendations—not the HDC chairman.”
Moonilal said: “The HDC chairman can’t recommend people for housing. He’s there to implement and direct government policy. If the former (PP) board chairman (Rabindra Moonan) made recommendation, it still had to be approved by the minister. The former chairman couldn’t direct (the then HDC MD) to do anything. George is a person in public life governed by the Integrity in Public Life Act. So this is a violation of that act and abuse of public office.
“The PNM accused us of giving houses to the police and media when we did it in line with policy, but here’s the HDC chairman telling the acting HDC MD that (Warner) ‘may be of assistance in future.’ This is boldfaced, unethical, illegal and demonstrates the politicisation of the distribution of houses. I ask the chairman: what assistance is he expecting to need from Warner in future?
“He must say what assistance of Mr Warner will he or his administration be in need of,” Moonilal said, noting George was the assistant campaign manager of Prime Minister Keith Rowley’s Diego Martin West unit in the 2015 general election.
I get requests from all types of people—Housing Minister
Housing Minister Randall Mitchell said, “I wasn’t party to the alleged correspondence, therefore I cannot comment/speculate on what could be meant by the line ...“we may need him....” You’d perhaps need to speak to Mr George.
“But on a daily basis I’d receive hundreds of requests and entreaties from all types of persons. From ministers, from former ministers, from former, former ministers, from Opposition members, the Opposition Leader, religious leaders, councillors, chairmen, and members of the protective services. As HDC chairman, I’m sure Mr George would receive twice as many requests as I would. But no matter who recommends or the recommendations made, they’re all subject to the rigorous allocations process.”
Warner: It’s a non-issue, many come to me for help
Warner said approaching the PNM Government for help was a “non-issue” and he’d simply referred the issue to George as a “matter of course” since many come to him for help.
“There’s nothing wrong with my request—I’d gotten 380 houses from (Roodal) Moonilal.”
Warner said he’d sent the request “off the bat.” He denied he was helping the PNM in any way, would be, or anticipated any help from them.
“I’m out of politics—Jack Warner, private citizen...”
Pressed on dealings with George, how well he knew George and specifics of the conversation with him on the matter, Warner declined comment.
‘NOTHING SINISTER’
Queried on the process, George said: “The requests HDC gets from the public have included from past and present MPs, ministers, current Opposition MPs, Opposition held corporation members and protective services.”
Information showed requests came to George from the following persons this year:
• April 27—Dr Lackram Bodoe (Fyzabad MP)
• May 10 & 16—Councillor Alif Mohammed (Couva/Tabaquite/Talparo Regional Corporation)
• May 13 & 19—Aiknath Singh (chairman Princes Town Regional Corp)
• May 24—Blind Welfare Association
• March 22—Executive officer T&T Coast Guard
• March 18—Commissioner of Prisons
• April 12—Ag Chief of Defence Staff
Requests copied to HDC’s chairman (including the first two before George was appointed) and sent to the minister:
• November 17, 2015—Ramona Ramdial (Couva North MP)
• October 6, 2015—Kamla Persad-Bissessar (Opposition Leader)
• May 23, Feb 24 & Feb 2—Rudranath Indarsingh (Couva South MP)
Following were sent to the
minister and forwarded to George:
• May 19—Dr Surujrattan Rambachan (Tabaquite MP)
• April 22—Dr David Lee (Pointe-a-Pierre MP)
• April 12—Ramona Ramdial (Couva North MP)
• April 15—Barry Padarath (Princes Town MP) request for ten people
• April 29—Rushton Paray (Mayaro MP)
• April 12—Transit Police Unit
Following were sent to acting managing director, but forwarded to George:
• May 17 & 24—Dr Roodal Moonilal (Oropouche East MP)
• May 3—Fazal Karim (Chaguanas East MP) request for 32 people
• March 11—Rodney Charles (Naparima MP)
• February 17—Dr Bhoendradatt Tewarie (Caroni Central MP) request for six people
George said: “From the foregoing, one can see that requests for housing come from all and sundry, with expectation that the chairman can assist.”