18/10/2025
PENNY AND $5.8 M CONTRACTS
IN almost 200 minutes of speaking time, Opposition Leader Pennelope Beckles-Robinson did not get around to discussing PNM politicians landing cushy State contracts, some without tendering.
And the situation is even worse than previously considered.
Now add the Land Settlement Agency (LSA) to government agencies where there was bid rigging, absence of transparent procurement procedures, and breaches of other applicable regulations.
There was reported manipulation of senior LSA officials.
Examples of land grabbing are now being examined by the office of Attorney General.
Why is Ms. Beckles-Robinson silent about colleagues Foster Cummings and Andrew Gabriel links to multi-million-dollar deals?
Cummings is associated with companies that raked in more than $100 million, and yet is a member of Ms. Beckles-Robinson’s senatorial team.
Other associates, including party financiers, constituency officials and media sympathisers, also landed generous contracts.
The feeding frenzy took place across the State sector, including the Housing Development Corporation (HDC), National Infrastructure Development Corporation (NIDCO), and National Maintenance Training and Security Company (MTS).
Ms. Beckles-Robinson may be familiar with the granting of contracts to JNCO Enterprises.
For example, on April 6, 2017, JNCO secured two contracts from NIDCO, with a total worth of $5,863,486.51.
The company was retained to provide rehabilitation works on the Maraval River, near to Saddle Road, and on the Diego Martin River, near to the Morne Coco Road Bridge.
Now, public contracts must be available to all qualified contracting firms, but there is abundant evidence of the short-circuiting of the procurement system.
Regrettably, the Opposition Leader did not find time to speak out on suspicious prequalification, rollover of contracts without adherence to the law, and other irregularities.
That’s so unfortunate since she dedicated much of her budget response to pitching for good governance, value for money, and rule of law.
Maybe Ms. Beckles-Robinson will soon spill all on corruption with the public’s purse in recent years.