Where are the profits of Leguan night?

Apr 28, 2014 News

…AFC Councilor wants to know

The inaugural Leguan Night was held in November 2013, and reports reaching this newspaper suggest that over $1.9M was spent on preparing for the event.
It was later described as a “major success,” but residents of Leguan are wondering where the profits are. They want to know why it was not spent on improving the island.

AFC Councilor, Dr. Kamal Narine

Among the residents is Alliance for Change (AFC) Councilor, Dr. Kamal Narine.
Dr. Narine said that ever since the event ended a few months ago, he started inquiring about the profits made from the event, but was never given a satisfying answer.
“Nobody can say anything to me. We don’t know where all this money went. I keep asking and asking but I am getting no answers.”
Dr. Narine added, “I did the calculation. The fee that they collected at the gate was $500 per person. Vendors had to pay $10,000 for a booth, and the Green’s Park Ground was almost full. One can only imagine how much money was made from that. Yet today, none has gone to benefit the island.”
The AFC Councilor said that in addition to the monies made from the actual event, the Leguan Night activity ended with officials claiming that the fencing materials had been stolen.
“When they start preparing for Leguan Night, more than 140 4×4 posts were removed. We don’t know where all these materials gone. It missing,” Dr. Narine said.
He added that he spoke to different members of the Leguan Night Committee, including its president, on several occasions, but was never provided with “decent” responses.
“On to this day nobody can’t tell me what happened to the fence. I talked to various government officials concerning it and they have no knowledge.”
Dr. Narine told this newspaper during a recent interview that after repeatedly asking about the missing fence, which costs close to $1 M, the Vice President of the aforementioned committee had reported that the fence was stolen.
He maintains, “This is nonsense!”
The AFC Councillor said that he was initially told that the fence was removed for accessibility purposes.
“The vendors had to get their stuff in and removing the fence would allow them more freedom and so into the ground. It would’ve been easier to set up the stage and so,” Dr. Narine pointed out.
“So whatever they saying about it being stolen is madness. They removed it, so I don’t understand wha is with the lies.”
Dr. Narine pointed out that in order to remove the fencing materials, one would’ve had to have access to the porters and a truck to transport the “stolen” materials.
“I can’t imagine how sensible that would sound. You mean nobody wouldn’t see a set of people stealing a whole fence? I really can’t understand this thing.”
Apart from the missing materials and funds, Dr. Narine is also annoyed with the way the Inaugural Leguan Night was arranged.
“They did everything in a very biased manner. Opposition Councilors were not invited to come on board with the planning, neither were we invited to partake in the night’s festivities. Leguan Night would’ve had to have been open up to all, but they turned it into a PPP (People’s Progressive Party) night. It was never intended for unity,” Dr. Narine said.
He said, “When I asked them why I couldn’t be a part of the committee, they told me I wasn’t qualified. Well, if there’s a test, I’d sure love to take it.”
The Councilor is calling on the President to have the police launch an investigation into the missing materials and the unrecovered funds.
“They do this thing too steady. We need accountability and I don’t want the regional authorities to do this. They keep manipulating the system. I want the President to have the Commissioner of Police look after an independent investigation.”