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alexk
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The informant who recently released the voice recording which allegedly features a conversation between Minister of Rural Development and Local Government Kazim Hosein and colleague La Brea MP Nicole Olivierre over the award of Community-Based Environmental Protection and Enhancement Programme (Cepep) contracts intends to go to the police on Monday.
The 31-year-old man, a former San Fernando City Corporation worker, said yesterday he decided to break his silence after months of being exploited, abused, blacklisted and unearthing wrongdoing within the People’s National Movement party.
Yesterday, the man, who the T&T Guardian met at a location under the watchful eyes of bodyguards and begged that his identity not be revealed, said he was now fearful for his life and intended to go to an attorney on Monday to draft up a statutory declaration which he would take to the police to safeguard himself.
The bodyguards were paid for by United National Congress activist Devant Maharaj, who exposed the voice recording on social media on Tuesday.
“I know they will go all out to silence me but I have already warned them that someone has a backup file of all my information which they would take to the police if I am found dead somewhere. So even if they try to get rid of me they can’t get rid of my evidence,” the informant said during an exclusive interview.
Having served as a checker at the corporation for several months, the man said he was transferred to Ministry of Rural Development and Rural Development last year where he held down the job of five people for a $5,000 salary. He claimed he was then offered a job at a PNM regional office with the promise of being paid a stipend, which he never got. He alleged that at this office there were a lot of wrongdoings.
“I started to complain of the exploitation. If I took a day off I would get cuss out. It was a lot to take as I was ill-treated and embarrassed at public events. One morning, I got a text and was told not to come to work. I was home for a month but I got paid,” he said.
The man returned to his job but after working he claimed his salary was frozen and he was later shifted back to the corporation.
In a text message with a minister, which he showed to the T&T Guardian, the informant said he threatened to raise his issue and other matters that were wrong at a Conversation with the Prime Minister meeting in Point Fortin.
“That is what triggered all of this. As I came out of my home two hours after that text message was sent, two men brandishing guns approached and warn me to keep my mouth shut,” he claimed, adding the following day a senior superintendent also intimidated him.
Fearing for his life, the informant said he backed down.
So exactly how did he come to obtain the voice recording which surfaced online which allegedly features high-ranking government officials discussing the award of Cepep contracts?
The informant said last October he called Kazim, who has a habit of putting his cell phone on loudspeaker during conversations.
“When Kazim reached Balisier House he told me he had to go but I did not hang up my phone and neither did he. As he got out of his vehicle he was approached by Olivierre and that’s how my phone recorded the conversation with the two of them,” he said.
The informant insisted he did not tape the voice recording to blackmail or bribe Hosein.
In the recording, a male voice is heard saying, “Them Cepep contractors in the pool, you want any of them again?”
A female voice is heard answering no, while the male warns. “Dr ...... tell me to talk to all yuh directly…don’t send no emails and no text. Whatever email you have delete eh.”
In February, the informant said he was terminated by the corporation due lack of funds, which he knew was not true.
“They realised that I knew too much and wanted to get rid of me.”
He, however, showed the T&T Guardian a text message sent to him by one Government minister who told him that he was now blacklisted and would not get a job anywhere.
“That is what triggered me to expose the recording, because I felt victimised, exploited and abused and everyone in the PNM I went to for help, they turned their backs on me. I rally and worked with this party and this is not what they stand for….this is not the PNM I know.”
Since the recording surfaced on social media, the informant said yesterday he was offered his old job back at the corporation, which he has accepted because he has mounting bills to pay and needed to survive since he had been eating bread and water for the past six months to survive.
“I know this job offer is a bribe to keep me quiet…to hush my mouth. I am not going to back down even though I am living in constant fear,” he said, adding he will pick up duty on Monday.
Minister Hosein has denied any wrongdoing but admitted that he discusses Cepep contracts with not only Government officials but Opposition officials as well — a practice which has been going on for years. However, he said the award of contracts is not up to him but the Cepep management.