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Sunday, May 16th 2010

Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar yesterday produced documents purporting to show a direct connection between Prime Minister Patrick Manning and former UDeCOTT executive chairman Calder Hart in the design and construction of the Lighthouse of the Lord Jesus Christ Church at the Heights of Guanapo, Arima.

Persad Bissessar said she will send these documents, together with a request for an investigation into possible criminal conduct by the Prime Minister under section 3 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, to the Commissioner of Police (CoP) and Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

She also intends to write the Integrity Commission on the matter.

UDeCOTT, in a release to the press last, night denied any involvement in the church. (See Box)

Manning’s spiritual adviser, Juliana Pena, was listed on the documents as being one of the owners of the controversial multi-million-dollar church which is being constructed by the Shanghai Construction Group (SCG) on State lands.

'Evidence': Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar and United National Congress (UNC) chairman Jack Warner show pictures of the Lighthouse of the Lord Jesus Christ church at the Heights of Guanapo, Arima during a press conference at the Opposition leader's office on Charles Street, Port of Spain yesterday. -Photo: ANISTO ALVES

Persad-Bissessar, at a press conference yesterday at the Opposition Leader’s office, Port of Spain, presented a bundle of letters as well as architectural drawings which, among other things, showed an ’Outdoor stage project of Prime Minister’s House’ as part of the design.

She also provided documents from Town and Country Planning which showed that approval for the construction of the church was made on the same day Manning named the date for the general election, on April 16.

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'You left me to face an impassioned woman'

A signed letter by architect Stephen Mendes showed that former UDeCOTT chairman Calder Hart had introduced him to Prime Minister Patrick Manning’s spiritual adviser, Juliana Pena, who convinced him (Mendes) to prepare the design for the Guanapo church.

The letter, which shows Hart’s direct involvement in the church’s designs, was released by Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar yesterday at a press conference.

Mendes’s letter, dated February 26, 2010, was sent to Hart at UDeCOTT’s office at Sackville street, Port of Spain.


The Urban Development Corporation of Trinidad and Tobago (UDeCOTT) last night denied that it was in any way involved in the development, financing, construction, design or engineering of the church at the Heights of Guanapo, the company said in a news release.

At a glance:

1. the Prime Minister was involved in the initial design of the Church for The Lighthouse of Our Lord Jesus Christ, being built by his spiritual adviser, Ms Juliana Pena.

2. The then Chairman of UDeCOTT, Mr Calder Hart, was directly involved in the design of the Church.

3. The date for general election was announced on the same day that the Town and Country approval for development of the property was awarded.

4. The building was started and continued without the requisite approvals from statutory bodies as is necessary for all such buildings.

5. The Church being constructed at Cemetery Street, Guanapo is exactly the same as the building designed by Architectural Design and Research Institute of Tongii University (Group) Co., and captioned ’Outdoor stage project of Prime Minister’s House’

6. The contractor for whom the design was done is listed as Shanghai Construction Group, the same contractor who is currently building the church, and to whom the government had awarded the construction of the Prime Ministers house which cost well over $100 million above the contract cost for construction. It is now alleged that Shanghai Construction Group is building the Church for free.

7. Despite the public utterances of the Minister of Finance and the Prime Minister himself, the UDeCOTT is listed as the client of the design of the building titled Outdoor stage project of the Prime Minister’s house but eventually used as the Church of the Lighthouse of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

LETTERS LINK PM, HART TO CHURCH

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CORRESPONDENCE released by Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar yesterday, which disclose apparent links between the construction of a church at the Heights of Guanapo and Udecott, make references to the Prime Minister’s Residence and Diplomatic Centre in St Ann’s and raise questions over a possible direct connection between Prime Minister Patrick Manning and the project.

very creative...Project Manager