Former Educational Facilities Company Limited (EFCL) chairman Arnold Piggott has refused to appear before today’s Joint Select Committee (JSC) of Parliament investigating the State company he briefly chaired.
In a letter sent to JSC secretary Brian Caesar on Saturday, a copy of which Guardian Media obtained, Piggott declined to participate in this morning’s meeting after receiving legal advice.
He explained that unsubstantiated public commentary about the board, which arose after his resignation in June, and damaging comments about state boards recently made by JSC members were factors in his decision.
“In the event that I may have been ordinarily favourably disposed to accept an invitation, circumstances, including certain statements in varying quarters, subsequent post departure developments from EFCL and associated publications would also have caused me to decline,” Piggott said.
He noted that seemingly biased comments were made by members JSC members during a previous hearing into another State board earlier this month.
“I have had the benefit of an unblemished record as a senior banking official of several years, as well as ten years as a high level public official devoid of such controversial commentaries or issues. Given the recent antecedents, I can no longer rely on any courtesy and respect to be afforded to me,” Piggott wrote as he referenced a T&T Guardian article headlined “Boards gone rogue.”
That article had featured JSC members David Small and Wade Mark’s comments on the operations of boards at several state companies who had raked up up 44 billion in debt.
However, Piggott requested that the letter be read at today’s meeting in the interest of transparency.
Piggott was appointed to the EFCL in October 2015, a month after the People’s National Movement took office. He tendered his resignation in June this year, citing personal and family commitments.
“I step away from this office now in furtherance of the protection of my reputation and family name,” Piggott had said in his resignation letter to Education Minister Anthony Garcia.
Around that time, allegations of irregularities in the company, which is responsible for building and repairing schools, arose. A central audit committee has been appointed by Cabinet to investigate these allegations. The company also has several lawsuits against it over unpaid contracts awarded under the previous People’s Partnership government.