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Opposition Senator Foster Cummings has denied an allegation involving a proposed rent increase and a monthly kickback at a building occupied by the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs. Cummings said Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs Phillip Watts had told Parliament about rent of approximately TT$800,000 a month and an alleged TT$250,000 monthly kickback. Rejecting the account, Cummings said he had never met or spoken with the landlord or any representative of the company that owned the building. He maintained that he had made no arrangement for any personal or other benefit. According to Cummings, government property rentals under the previous administration were handled through the Property and Real Estate Services Division of the Ministry of Public Administration. He said the division formally offered the landlord a reduced monthly rent of TT$375,000 on December 16, 2024, down from approximately TT$391,000. Cummings said he was informed that the landlord accepted the reduction. Cummings challenged Watts to repeat the allegation outside Parliament, saying that would allow legal action to be taken. He also rejected a separate allegation that he had travelled with others to distribute contracts, maintaining that he had no role in issuing contracts. The press-conference recording contained Cummings's response to allegations he attributed to Watts; it did not contain Watts's original remarks or a response from Watts or the landlord.
Opposition Senator Foster Cummings has denied an allegation involving a proposed rent increase and a monthly kickback at a building occupied by the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs.
Cummings said Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs Phillip Watts had told Parliament about rent of approximately TT$800,000 a month and an alleged TT$250,000 monthly kickback.
Rejecting the account, Cummings said he had never met or spoken with the landlord or any representative of the company that owned the building. He maintained that he had made no arrangement for any personal or other benefit.
According to Cummings, government property rentals under the previous administration were handled through the Property and Real Estate Services Division of the Ministry of Public Administration.
He said the division formally offered the landlord a reduced monthly rent of TT$375,000 on December 16, 2024, down from approximately TT$391,000. Cummings said he was informed that the landlord accepted the reduction.
Cummings challenged Watts to repeat the allegation outside Parliament, saying that would allow legal action to be taken.
He also rejected a separate allegation that he had travelled with others to distribute contracts, maintaining that he had no role in issuing contracts.
The press-conference recording contained Cummings’s response to allegations he attributed to Watts; it did not contain Watts’s original remarks or a response from Watts or the landlord.
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