{"id":22202,"date":"2022-05-19T22:02:16","date_gmt":"2022-05-20T03:02:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/projectcalls.com\/dev?p=22202"},"modified":"2022-05-19T14:54:31","modified_gmt":"2022-05-19T19:54:31","slug":"moonilal-calls-for-cctv-probe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/moonilal-calls-for-cctv-probe\/","title":{"rendered":"Moonilal calls for CCTV probe"},"content":{"rendered":"

Trinidad and Tobago<\/p>\n

OPPOSITION Member of Parliament, Dr Roodal Moonilal, is calling on the Government to undertake an independent investigation into the procurement by the Ministry of National Security of an upgrade to the current national closed-circuit television (CCTV) network.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am now calling for an independent investigation outside of the Government\u2026we need to get an independent enquiry into the debacle of the tendering and contract arrangements for the CCTV cameras by the Ministry of National Security from September 2018 to April 2022 and thereafter, said Moonilal, at a virtual news conference last Thursday.<\/p>\n

Moonilal\u2019s call for the investigation followed last Wednesday\u2019s publication by the Trinidad Express of Prime Minister Keith Rowley\u2019s revelation that Cabinet had stopped the award of the contract for the national CCTV network in Trinidad to Irish-owned telecommunications provider Digicel and referred the evaluation and its outcome to new Attorney General Reginald Armour.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

The Prime Minister made the disclosure to the Express last week Monday, in written responses to questions sent to him. The Prime Minister was asked to confirm that majority State-owned Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago (TSTT) submitted a bid for the contract that was substantially less than the Digicel bid, but the TSTT bid was disqualified for \u201ctechnical\u201d reasons.<\/p>\n

He was also asked why the Government (Ministry of National Security) issued a letter of award to a company in which it has no equity interest, when a company in which it does have an equity interest is capable of doing the job.<\/p>\n

In response, the Prime Minister said: \u201cThose are the same questions that the Government is asking and have stopped any award and have referred the evaluation and its outcome to the Attorney General for his advice. This was done about two weeks ago. We await the review of the Attorney General.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Ministry of National Security issued a request for proposals (RFP) in January 2021 for the design, supply and installation of a dedicated data connectivity solution to support the national CCTV network.<\/p>\n

That first RFP was withdrawn without explanation and was replaced by an RFP that was issued in October 2021, according to documents seen by the Express. The second RFP stipulates the installation of 2,488 cameras in 294 communities across Tobago and Trinidad, comprising 898 sites.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

Some 470 of the 2,488 cameras are required to facilitate facial recognition, while 1,127 are required to recognise vehicle licence plates.<\/p>\n

The opposition parliamentarian said a retired High Court judge and an expert in telecommunications would be appropriate choices to participate in the investigation.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd don\u2019t go and pick up someone on the street because you know them years now and put them to enquire. This must be a proper enquiry, with independent persons,\u201d said Moonilal.<\/p>\n

The Prime Minister told the Express that Cabinet autho\u00adrised the Ministry of National Security to proceed with the CCTV project. That brought into action an evaluation done by a team under the ministry and its tender process, Rowley said. \u201cWhen the Cabinet disco\u00advered where they were going, a demand was made to see the details of the process that resulted in the concern you also expressed,\u201d the Prime Minister said, adding, \u201cThe documents were submitted and it is out of dissatisfaction and concern that the matter has been halted and sent to the AG for his advice and guidance.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

\u201cThis is not the first time we have had issue with the attempt to award a contract in this ministry. The police had to be called in to trace \u2018lost\u2019 documents,\u201d Rowley said. Questioned about the political repercussions of awarding the CCTV contract to Digicel, given that 51 per cent State-owned TSTT is in the middle of a retrenchment process, which is being funded by borrowed money,<\/p>\n

Rowley said, \u201cThat is precisely why the effort to award it \u2018as recommended\u2019 by the second questionable evaluation process has attracted the intervention of the Cabinet to see just how this kind of recommendation emerged and why it is disregarding exactly what you are saying.\u201d<\/p>\n

He said the Cabinet awaits the advice of the Attorney General \u201cbecause since \u2018independent\u2019 professional people did the tender process, we want to know what drives this outcome, which is seen to be so worrisome.\u201d<\/p>\n

more\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

image: pexels-ju\u0308rgen-jester<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Trinidad and Tobago OPPOSITION Member of Parliament, Dr Roodal Moonilal, is calling on the Government to undertake an independent investigation into the procurement by the Ministry of National Security of…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1091,"featured_media":22203,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[250],"tags":[242,137],"class_list":["post-22202","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-articles","tag-security-surveillance","tag-trinidad-and-tobago"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/pexels-ju%CC%88rgen-jester-4497236-scaled-e1652989745287.jpg?fit=1024%2C695&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6u9Qa-5M6","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":8110,"url":"https:\/\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/moonilal-bobol-in-100m-cctv-system\/","url_meta":{"origin":22202,"position":0},"title":"Moonilal: Bobol in $100M CCTV system","author":"Michele Marius","date":"March 1, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"OROPOUCHE East MP Dr Roodal Moonilal has alleged a case of bid-rigging in the upgrade of the country's $100M CCTV camera security-system, speaking today in the Lower House debate on a bill to vary the Budget. Alleging that an extension had been made to the period to submit tenders, so\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News\/Developments"","block_context":{"text":"News\/Developments","link":"https:\/\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/category\/newsdevelopments\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/CCTV-camera-surveillance-security-PhotoMIX-Ltd-Pexels.jpeg?fit=1024%2C683&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/CCTV-camera-surveillance-security-PhotoMIX-Ltd-Pexels.jpeg?fit=1024%2C683&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/CCTV-camera-surveillance-security-PhotoMIX-Ltd-Pexels.jpeg?fit=1024%2C683&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/CCTV-camera-surveillance-security-PhotoMIX-Ltd-Pexels.jpeg?fit=1024%2C683&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":23165,"url":"https:\/\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/moonilal-wants-probe-into-posgh-contract-bid\/","url_meta":{"origin":22202,"position":1},"title":"Moonilal wants probe into PoSGH contract bid","author":"Mayra Bonilla Lopez","date":"July 21, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Trinidad and Tobago \u00a0 Oropouche East MP Dr Roodal Moonilal believes a technical glitch which caused the Urban Development Corporation (UDECOTT) e-tender platform to introduce a third bidder on the Port-of-Spain General Hospital Central Block project, days after the bidding was closed, should be immediately investigated, as the matter points\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Articles"","block_context":{"text":"Articles","link":"https:\/\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/category\/articles\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Buildings-construction-cranes-Juhasz-Imre-Pexels.jpeg?fit=1024%2C768&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Buildings-construction-cranes-Juhasz-Imre-Pexels.jpeg?fit=1024%2C768&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Buildings-construction-cranes-Juhasz-Imre-Pexels.jpeg?fit=1024%2C768&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Buildings-construction-cranes-Juhasz-Imre-Pexels.jpeg?fit=1024%2C768&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":21988,"url":"https:\/\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/cctv-procurement-process-compromised\/","url_meta":{"origin":22202,"position":2},"title":"CCTV procurement process compromised","author":"Mayra Bonilla Lopez","date":"May 5, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Trinidad and Tobago \u00a0 MAJORITY State-owned Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago (TSTT) complained, in writing, that the Ministry of National Security\u2019s September 2018 CCTV procurement process was \u201cirretrievably compromised\u201d. 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