UTT Controversy – Ken Julien, Author (Part 1)
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| Prof. Ken Julien |
Professor Kenneth Julien and the University of Trinidad and Tobago is something we’re going to be hearing about over the next few months. 2006 was a year of controversy with Alcoa, the Panday trial, Felicity and any number of other incidents and non-incidents, so the latest offering helps to ensure that 2006 goes out with a bang.
On Sunday 26th November, the Sunday Express ran a story written by Camini Marajh headlined “The University Untouchable” in which several allegations about Ken Julien and the running of UTT were made.
It was a good article by Ms. Marajh and it’s a lot of information to wade through, so I’ll give it to you in point for here – not all of it though, just some. Keep in mind though that at this point they are all allegations.
- The University of Trinidad and Tobago has received well over $500 million worth of public funds which is not subject to scrutiny by any body.
- The Professor insists that UTTs dealings are transparent and that audited accounts are sent to Minister of Science, Technology and Tertiary Education Mustapha Abdul-Hamid. The Express’ source state however, that there are no audited accounts.
- Chairman of the Board of Governors and President of UTT, Professor Ken Julien has not disclosed “any information about the new State-funded university in his 2005 filing of registrable interests to the Integrity Comission although he is paid a professor salary by UTT.”
- There is a lot of questionable spending going on at UTT including a lease of US $4,000 a month on a luxary La Riviera appartment (where is La Riviera?), the purchase of computers from a company called Diamond Systems and Supplies at a cost of $14,000 a piece although the same computers could be sourced directly from Dell for $6,000 a piece. Also being scrutinized is the decision to use public funds to pay for UTT administrative staff members to pursue PhDs in foreign universities. UTT pays tuition, housing, and travel expenses. Plus PhD students still get their full local salaries to upkeep their homes here in Trinidad.
- It’s unclear who exactly controls UTT? Is it the Government of Trinidad and Tobago or is it shareholders?
- Martin Daly wrote a confidential letter to Ken Julien which seemed to him of ways to avoid filing the a declaration for the Integrity in Public Life Act.
- Prof. Julien’s declaration of interests to the Integrity Commission has very little information pertaining to UTT. His declration does not state that he receives a salary from UTT or that he has use of a Volkswagen Toureg paid for and maintained by UTT.
- However in June 2006 he did declare one of his companies called Kenesjay Systems although he ceased being a a director in this company since June 30th 2005.
- Julien denies that UTT footed a bill of $2.8 million to refurbish the Kenesjay building for a UTT administration office. He says that the renovation cost was $30,000. However Ms. Camini Marajh alleges that she has seen financial accounts that suggest otherwsie.
- Prof. Julien denies any knowledge of a company called Pan American Development Co. or of its connection to UTT, Alutrint or E Teck (I guess his relationship with this company was a question put to him by Ms. Mahrajh). However the Express did find such a company in which Prof. Julien is a director along with two Venezuelans. The company is located at Corner Priority Bus Route and Orange Grove Road Tacarigua (you all know that building? I think it’s cream and brown, but I could be wrong). The two Venezuelans, Rivere Villamizar and Renda Butler, are named directors of Alutrint (the other Alcoa) as well as directors in Alutech which is a company set up to capitalize on the downstream possibilities of Alutrint in the form of a wheel manufacturing company. Prof. Julien was also a director in Alutrint up to May 18th last year and his son Phillip is Alutrint’s project development manager. Villamizar and Butler are also directors of Alutech. Prof Julien is also a director of Alutech.
Do you feel like throwing up yet?
21 Responses to “UTT Controversy – Ken Julien, Author (Part 1)”
By Hottie Hottie on Dec 6, 2006 | Reply
BWAAAAAHHHH HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
Mani boy! When I tell allyuh my life is a soap opear allyuh laughing. I hadda email yuh. Yuh know why? Cuz I quite to ass up here in London and…. Nah. Lemme hush meh mouth. Lewwe just say I know EXACTLY what Camini’s concerns are. Oh Lord!
By Hottie Hottie on Dec 6, 2006 | Reply
Mani, could you give me a link to the original story?
By Mani on Dec 6, 2006 | Reply
hmm, well yes, I can’t wait for the details of how you implicated in this, lol.
I forgot to include the link sorry. I put it in the body of the story. But here it is anyway:
http://www.trinidadexpress.com/index.pl/article?id=161057268
By Hottie Hottie on Dec 6, 2006 | Reply
Emailing you NOW!
By Hottie Hottie on Dec 6, 2006 | Reply
Aye! Correction. Me eh IMPLICATED in NUTTIN eh. If you feel you getting me in trouble yuh LIE!
By Mani on Dec 6, 2006 | Reply
oh gosh Hottie, no dalin’, I didn’t mean implicated in that manner…I mean implicated in that you had an idea what was going on.
I read your e-mail.
Permission to vomit please miss?
By Hottie Hottie on Dec 6, 2006 | Reply
And THAT eh even HALF of it. After that I needed a little break from T&T yes. Permission granted.
By JohnBoy on Dec 7, 2006 | Reply
Aye aye….allya. Dat eh rite at all. I want some a dat story 2! Doh be back squeezing and hogging de info for allya self. Hottie, Mani….let it off deh!
By Mani on Dec 7, 2006 | Reply
lol, sorry man…my lips are sealed.
By Hottie Hottie on Dec 7, 2006 | Reply
Better had be. I doh eat meat but I will well and proper fry yuh ass!
By ed on Dec 7, 2006 | Reply
I’ve become desensitized to all the crap. It’s just too depressing, especially because there’s little chance of Manning being kicked out next year (and also, the thought of PM Kamla is too much to bear).
La Riviera is in Westmoorings. Ugly ass building (I know that doesn’t help narrow it down when it comes to that area).
By Mani on Dec 7, 2006 | Reply
Johnboy, yuh see? I start getting threats already. No wonder people like Small Brent fraid to testify against Abu Bakr.
Ed, well don’t get too depressed just yet…in case you haven’t read the second part of the report just yet, I have it coming up maybe tomorrow.
Why is it I can’t comment on your blog? Everytime I click the comments I get some kind of error message.
By law on Dec 7, 2006 | Reply
The University of Trinidad and Tobago has received well over $500 million worth of public funds which is not subject to scrutiny by any body.
The Professor insists that UTTs dealings are transparent and that audited accounts are sent to Minister of Science, Technology and Tertiary Education Mustapha Abdul-Hamid. The Express’ source state however, that there are no audited accounts.
NOT SUBJECT TO SCRUTINY BY ANYBODY
THERE ARE NO AUDITED ACCOUNTS.
Madness, pure madness. No checks and balances. Hmmmmmmm….
By ed on Dec 7, 2006 | Reply
Oh really? And here I was thinking that I was just dull.
Thanks for letting me know. I will look into it. Might be related to some problems that my site’s benefactor is having.
By JohnBoy on Dec 7, 2006 | Reply
Hottie, ya threatening witnesses? Dat eh rite! Best ya did just email him alone and tell rather than whet mih appetitite for the inside scoop. Yuh know what? Mani, Hottie…NO SOUP FOR YOU!
By Mani on Dec 7, 2006 | Reply
Law, yuh think it easy? And then they complain when Transparency International gives them a low rating.
Ed, yeah it’s a while now that’s been happening.
Johnboy, lol. Ban, one year!
By JohnBoy on Dec 7, 2006 | Reply
Yes, ban one year. Glad yuh know de routine.
By Chennette on Dec 8, 2006 | Reply
Money and financial corruption issues aside – there needs to be an audit of how they run a purported academic tertiary level insitution they calling a university…letting administrative staff make academic decisions, forcing instructors to teach things they not qualified for, just so they don’t have to hire anybody new etc etc. And no, I don’t work there, I just hear the stories…put for all this bobol, what kind of actual education they giving anyway?
By Mani on Dec 10, 2006 | Reply
Chennette, if the info I have is true, I don’t think that UTT is even authorized to award degrees to anyone.
By ThisStillGoin'on? on Dec 10, 2006 | Reply
Everybody knows, but nobody knows.
This is utterly ridiculous.
Every single public venture brings with it a group of people with an uncanny talent for stealing.
A VW Touareg?
That SUV is overpriced even in the good old USA.
But wait! At GORTT’s tortuous tax and duty rates, that car doubles in price by the time it hits the road in Trinidad!
I remember when a Nissan Laurel or new Sentra was a huge car to own.
In those days, the Prime Minister–yea the President–made do with a Toyota Crown (and at one time, a Volvo).
Then Carlos John sprung for the BMW X5 and Gilette primed the S-Class and people aren’t looking back anymore.
I saw a picture of a Caterham or Westfield the other day….
Good grief!
Where is all this money coming from?
Where do these people live?
Where do their children go to school?
What do they do?
Who lives in all these townhouses that are popping up all over the place?
Am I the only one who remembers when Valsayn was the upscale capital of eastern Trinidad?
How can so many people fit on one bloody peninsula?
Everybody knows, but nobody knows.
By Mani on Dec 13, 2006 | Reply
ThisStillGoin’on? The money coming from the oil and gas, but the question is, where is it going? In whose pockets?