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Khan’s Testimony Challenged

Contact: Corporate Communications, 627-0083

8th December 2009

Port of Spain, Trinidad – Lawyers for UDeCOTT Executive Chairman Calder Hart today revealed to the Uff Commission of Enquiry that the reason for declining the opportunity to cross-examine Mr. Carl Khan was that any further examination of Khan was unlikely to produce anything of evidential value and only serve to fuel irrelevant and scandalous speculation into the personal affairs of the Hart family.

Newspaper reports today stated that Mr. Hart had accepted that Khan’s testimony before the Commission was unchallenged.

This is not true.

Mr. Hart has given evidence on the subject of the procurement procedures regarding the Ministry of Legal Affairs Tower under oath on no fewer than two occasions and had made it clear that he has no personal relationship with executives of Malaysia-based Sunway.  On neither occasion were the truth or accuracy of Mr. Hart’s statements challenged by anyone.

Mr. Hart’s lawyers have judged that the quality of the brief statutory declaration, given by Khan, was highly questionable – especially in light of the sworn and otherwise unchallenged and extensive testimony of Mr. Hart.

Under the circumstances it is obvious that the decision of Mr. Hart’s lawyers to forgo the invitation to cross-examine Khan in no way could be seen to a concession to the truth of the testimony given by Khan, which remains frontally denied.

UDeCOTT is developing the structures that form part of the innovation for lasting
prosperity; the development plan of the Government of Trinidad and Tobago.