Ria Taitt Political Editor
Prime Minister Patrick Manning said last night that the word ’PM’, which appears at least twice in documentation relating to the church at Guanapo Heights, could mean project manager.
The documents released by Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar on Saturday, quoted architect Stephen Mendes writing to Calder Hart on May 2, 2006: ’The structural drawings developed to date are not in accordance with the recent changes made to the architectural drawings as a result of recent PM’s requests.’ Persad-Bissessar said it pointed to the involvement of Manning.
But Manning last night provided an alternative explanation, saying: ’I am advised that in the construction industry, PM also means project manager eh. So that is one possibility.’
Manning was speaking on a Government Information programme titled Prime Minister Unplugged, in which he was interviewed by journalists Juhel Browne, Anthony Wilson and Hans Hanoomansingh
On the allegations that he was involved in the construction of the church, Manning said the Prime Minister was Minister for Ecclesiastical Affairs. He said in that capacity, the Prime Minister interfaced with a number of religious denominations all over the country. He said it was the policy of his Government and previous governments to assist religious organisations in a miscellany of ways. He said many organisations historically have been given land on which to build churches and there were others which had been given finance. He said just about three weeks ago, the Cabinet approved $2 million for the Roman Catholic church to assist in the upgrading of the Archbishop’s residence on Queen’s Park West, Port of Spain. He said it was nothing unusual for the State to assist religious organisations.
RESPONDED LAST NIGHT: Prime Minister Patrick Manning
Manning reiterated that no State funding was involved in the construction of the Heights of Guanapo church.
’The Prime Minister assisted the Lighthouse of the Lord Jesus Church, as indeed he assists other churches. In my own constituency, for example, the Ethiopian Orthodox Church I assist all the time,’ Manning said, adding, ’The Lighthouse of the Lord Jesus Church is just another church that the Prime Minister is assisting. And we never denied that. In fact I was the first one who put that on the table.’
Information about the construction of the church was first revealed in a TV6 report and then by Chaguanas West MP Jack Warner in the Parliament earlier this year.
Manning said Persad-Bissessar also alleged that there was an outdoor facility to be constructed at the PM’s residence which resembled the church.
’How they got to that conclusion, I am in no position to say,’ he said, adding: ’And they argued that we deferred construction of that facility and used that money to construct the church. I mean from the very first statement that I made, I made it clear that no State funding is involved in the construction of that church and therefore that allegation is just wild and baseless.’
Manning said, however, that he was not surprised by the allegations and expected more of the same.
’Mrs Persad-Bissessar seems to be accident-prone these days. Everybody wants to shoot her,’ he said.
He recalled a shooting incident at Suruj Rambachan’s home in which ’he (Rambachan) knew about the shooting incident more than anybody’.
’And as the UNC/COP realise that the election is slipping away … look at their campaign, it is becoming nastier and nastier and they are becoming wilder and wilder in their allegations. Look at … the ads they are running. All it tells you is that they have become very desperate and it also tells me that the PNM is doing well.’
Manning said the allegations were timed to ensure that the PNM’s successful youth rally did not make the front pages. He noted that the UNC cancelled its own youth rally. He also noticed that Persad-Bissessar was a ’no show’ at Sangre Grande.
’I hope she is feeling well … Mr Warner was on a platform saying that she had ’domestic issues’. I think that Mr Warner was right,’ he said.
On the fact that the Town and Country Planning approval for the development of the site at Heights of Guanapo came on the same day he called the elections, Manning said there was no connection between the two, since the election date was decided in October of last year. He added, ’the Prime Minister’ was not involved in the approval process.
Asked whether any of his own money, or money of his friends was going into the church, Manning, whose total monthly compensation before tax is about $65,000, said: ’My own money? I hardly have money to take care of my own affairs.’
He said he had given none of his own money toward the construction of the church.
Asked about Juliana Pena’s absence from the national scene since the controversy involving the church broke, Manning asked: ’What has that got to do with me?’
Confirming that Pena was still his spiritual adviser, the PM asked: ’What is wrong with a spiritual adviser … I wish that others would have spiritual advisers and there are many in the Opposition who I think require it.’
Told that the documents suggest an involvement of UDeCOTTÂ in the construction of the church, Manning asked: ’Is it an involvement of UDeCOTT or is it an involvement of Mr Hart … in his private capacity?’
Asked about his alleged close relationship with Hart, Manning responded with a question: ’Was it not the same allegation laid against Ken Julien? Anyone who comes into political prominence in assisting the Government … becomes the subject of attacks. Because in Trinidad and Tobago, independence means to be anti-government …Calder Hart was one of those who was strongly in support of the Government and who would pay a high price for that.’(Trinidad Express)
