Tracy Davidson-Celestine: No corruption in PNM

PNM candidate for Lambeau/Signal Hill, Tracy Davidson-Celestine, took to the podium to knock the Progressive Democratic Patriots (PDP) over its request for her to address the findings of the Auditor General’s 2016 report.

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CAMILLE McEACHNIE

With 13 days to go before the January 25th Tobago House of Assembly (THA) elections, the People’s National Movement’s (PNM) candidate for Lambeau/Signal Hill, Tracy Davidson-Celestine, took to the podium to knock the Progressive Democratic Patriots (PDP) over its request for her to address the findings of the Auditor General’s 2016 report.

The PDP highlighted areas of the report at their January 10 political meeting at Garden Side car park, Scarborough.

The report said in 2015, the THA paid a Tortola company to design, develop and construct a High Angle canopy Tour project during Davidson-Celestine’s tenure as the THA’s Tourism Secretary.

Speaking at Bucco Multipurpose Facility on January 11, Davidson-Celestine said the PDP’s revelations are an act of “desperation”.

She said the PNM delivers what it promises.

“Regardless of what is said about those on the other side, the Peoples National Movement has delivered. They (PDP) want to tell you, the public, that at this point in time that we the Peoples National Movement is corrupt.  But I give you the assurance that there has been no corruption in this administration.  We have done all to ensure that the monies are managed in a particular way,” Davidson- Celestine said.

Earlier in a day, via a press release headed “PDP should zipline their lip”, the PNM council said: “The zipline project is still in the works.”

The auditor general’s report indicates that although the THA paid over $2.5 million for the 2015 project in the Main Ridge forest, the Executive Council note that approved the deal was not sent as part of the audit.

The Government’s accounting department said a search for evidence supporting the payment found “only some ropes on hand” at the Tourism Division’s stores.