In todays Trinidad Guardian ‘Life Sport troops’ show strength: “A figment of his imagination.” This is how Life Sport programme director Cornelius Prince yesterday described National Security Minister Gary Griffith’s allegations that there was misappropriation of funds under the Sport Ministry-controlled programme. Griffith also alleged the programme was fraught with criminals. On Saturday, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar announced the programme would be reassigned to the National Security Ministry and be put under the management of the Defence Force. Prince, who yesterday rallied his “Life Sport troops” (participants) at the Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva, for a media conference, fired back at the minister and declared that the programme was above board and openly welcomed any “independent” probe into its operations. Prince, in describing Griffith’s allegations as “scandalous” and “unfounded,” said an investigation should be done by “any official investigative or auditing body that has not yet formulated any conclusions, real or imagined.” Griffith was quoted over the weekend in an Express article alleging several improprieties under the programme, including the payment of some $18 million to Life Sport Carapo co-ordinator Rajaee Ali, a Jamaat-al-Muslimeen member. But Prince said the figures quoted in the article were based on a flawed supposition that one organisation could be paid an “astronomical, mind-boggling” sum of $1.5 million monthly, totalling $18 million annually. “This is a figment of the Honourable National Security Minister’s imagination and disseminated by a media house who clearly replaced journalistic integrity with bacchanalia designs,” he said. [Click the link to read this story guardian.co.tt/news/2014-05-27/%E2%80%98life-sport-troops%E2%80%99-show-strength]
Posted on: Tue, 27 May 2014 14:08:26 +0000
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