ManningPORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad:
A COMMISSION of inquiry is to be set up to investigate all government contracts since 2002 when the new administration came into power, Trin-idad and Tobago's Prime Minister Patrick Manning has announced.
At the same time, he stressed that the resignation of Housing Minister Dr. Keith Rowley was not necessary in the wake of allegations over wrongdoing in a private land development in the sister island of Tobago.
The opposition United National Congress (UNC) is pressing for the removal of Dr. Rowley but Prime Minister Manning made it clear he saw no need for Dr. Rowley to step down.
Establishment of the commission will be finalised next week when Attorney-General John Jeremie returns from London, according to Mr. Manning.
On October 14, Opposition MP Ganga Singh claimed in Parliament that Dr. Rowley, via a private company, had siphoned off State resources from a multi-million dollar hospital project in Tobago to his private land development in the Mason Hall district.
But both Dr. Rowley and a top official of the company NH Internat-ional have denied the allegation
The issue had kicked up a storm within the hierarchy of Manning's ruling People's National Move-ment (PNM) party.
Commenting on the decision to investigate the matter, Opposition Leader Basdeo Panday said: "We want to know who are the commissioners and we hope it would not be a cover-up."
