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pioneer wrote:(...Rovin...) wrote:Asked specifically where the piano was found, Griffith said it was located at the back of the stage area inside the Diplomatic Centre. Griffith said because of the way the piano was "hidden", no one noticed it was there. He said, however, that the issue is not about the piano itself but that taxpayers' money was wasted under the PNM to purchase these pianos.
Actually no, the issue here was accusing manning of having it, as seen/heard on TV...ramlogan kept asking manning to tell them where the piano was...
then again most of you illiterate
(...Rovin...) wrote:pioneer wrote:(...Rovin...) wrote:Asked specifically where the piano was found, Griffith said it was located at the back of the stage area inside the Diplomatic Centre. Griffith said because of the way the piano was "hidden", no one noticed it was there. He said, however, that the issue is not about the piano itself but that taxpayers' money was wasted under the PNM to purchase these pianos.
Actually no, the issue here was accusing manning of having it, as seen/heard on TV...ramlogan kept asking manning to tell them where the piano was...
then again most of you illiterate
u eh realize d AG was being sarcastic\throwing picong at d former Pee eM so its in fact U who really illiterate & ppl have to explain everything to u ...
Patos wrote:Piano invisibility shield activated!
sMASH wrote:what instigated this piano thing in the first place?
hustla_ambition101 wrote:sMASH wrote:what instigated this piano thing in the first place?
PP needs a smokescreen from the real issues, rising unemployment, a high murder rate (24 in 16 days), almost every Union against them for better wages and working conditions even though private sector companies with much less resources settling for double digit increases, Anil crashing the Prado, the increasing exchange rate, the stagnant economy.....
I'm not sorry
In face of criticism Attorney General defiant: State to probe UTT for purchase of 10 grand pianos
By Stories by Anna Ramdass anna.ramdass@trinidadexpress.com
Story Created: Jan 16, 2011 at 10:46 PM ECT
Story Updated: Jan 16, 2011 at 10:46 PM ECT
No apology.
Attorney General Anand Ramlogan said yesterday he is not embarrassed nor will he apologise for the controversy surrounding the grand piano which he said was missing, but later found at the Diplomatic Centre, St Ann's.
In fact, Ramlogan, told the Express in an interview at Rienzi Complex, Couva, yesterday he intends to examine the matter to determine whether civil action can be taken against the persons who purchased the ten pianos at a cost of US$850,677.
Last Wednesday at the Parliament sitting, Ramlogan disclosed some of the findings of an interim report coming out of a probe of the University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT).
The report had stated that ten pianos were purchased from Bosendorfer, Las Vegas, USA, by UTT head Ken Julien, one of which was delivered to the Diplomatic Centre, the official residence of the Prime Minister, during the tenure of former prime minister Patrick Manning.
Three of the pianos were assigned to the National Academy for the Performing Arts, while the others were distributed to other UTT campuses across the country.
Ramlogan, in exposing the sqaundermania at UTT, said the piano was missing and asked Manning to assist in its location. Manning responded, saying he left the grand piano at the Diplomatic Centre and a day later after check was done, the piano was found in the same area where Manning said he had left it.
In the face of criticism, Ramlogan insisted that had he not raised the issue in Parliament, the public would never have known millions of dollars were spent to buy pianos.
"Close to US$1 million was spent to purchase pianos without any consultation or disclosure. I'm embarrassed because that ought not to have happened in a functioning democratic society... that happens in a dictatorship, when that kind of money is spent without anyone being aware of it," said Ramlogan.
"Prior to my disclosure in the Parliament, not a single citizen in this country knew that Mr Manning and Mr Julien spent millions to purchase pianos. I ask the question, is it that UTT could have been used to purchase his (Manning) private jet and nobody would have known?" he asked.
Ramlogan vowed the public will get its justice for the billions wasted under the former administration.
"We intend to take civil and/or criminal action when the investigations are fully completed. The discovery of these pianos is a direct result of the probes that are being conducted. In so far as there was malfeasance, misconduct, we intend to take civil action against those responsible for betraying the people and breaking their fiduciary duties to the organisation they served," said Ramlogan.
"The purchase of these grand pianos by UTT and, in particular, one for the Prime Minister's residence, is a matter that may very well warrant a civil action. We are still trying to unearth the facts to see where the paper trail leads and who gave the instructions for the pianos to be purchased," said Ramlogan.
As Ramlogan stands firm that he will not apologise and go after those who wasted public funds, his colleagues have rallied around him in support.
Said Sport Minister Anil Roberts, "There is nothing to apologise for. It was a total wastage of taxpayers' money to buy those pianos." He added, "I think Patrick Manning ought to apologise to Anand Ramlogan and all our citizens of East Indian origin for the comments he made.
"He (Manning) has many apologies to make. He allowed Calder Hart to disappear, he allowed Ken Julien to run rampant at UTT, he must apologise to this country for Uthara Rao, who wasted taxpayers' money at EMBD."
Said Education Minister Dr Tim Gopeesingh, "What the AG has done is expose the abuse of funds by UTT spending money to buy pianos.
"We have said that UTT has been a very corrupt organisation. This is just another example—the misuse of State funds. Mr Manning and the PNM (People's National Movement) administration need to apologise and he needs to say what was UTT doing under his watch that there is nearly two to three billion misappropriated."
Minister of Food Production Vasant Bharath said, "Everything under the PNM is a scandalous waste of taxpayers' money. It's a litany of woes we've been confronted with."
He said the money spent on the pianos was to no benefit to the people of this country.
"I believe, with everything, there should always be oversight whenever we buy things using taxpayers' money," said Health Minister Therese Baptiste-Cornelis.
hustla_ambition101 wrote:sMASH wrote:what instigated this piano thing in the first place?
PP needs a smokescreen from the real issues, rising unemployment, a high murder rate (24 in 16 days), almost every Union against them for better wages and working conditions even though private sector companies with much less resources settling for double digit increases, Anil crashing the Prado, the increasing exchange rate, the stagnant economy.....
pioneer wrote:so much ting UNC tief and continue to tief yet allyuh studyin ah piano
bushwakka wrote:^better question wud be what they didn't tief...
RASC wrote:Ok Zoom Rader
rollingstock wrote:lmao @ harmonium
First thing came to mind was
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