Corruption rampant in T&T – Hudson-Phillips

(Trinidad Guardian) Corruption has become so pervasive in T&T that citizens appear to be undergoing a process of being desensitised as to what corruption is, says Queen’s Counsel Karl Hudson-Phillips. Hudson-Phillips, who is being asked by colleagues to head the Law Association again, made the comment yesterday evening, even as the People’s Partnership second anniversary celebrations at Mid Centre Mall, Chaguanas, were in full swing. “Increasingly, in T&T, there is the perception that corruption has become systematic,” he said. “The population is now being assaulted by the revelations of unprecedented corporate greed and institutional incompetence.”

Hudson-Phillips was delivering the feature address at the T&T Transparency Institute’s (TTI) annual general meeting at the President’s Box, Queen’s Park Oval, Port-of-Spain. He declined to comment on the Movement for Social Justice’s stand against last night’s PP’s celebration rally. “I don’t get into politics,” he said. On the question of the presidency of the Law Association, he said he has grappled with the question of how he should respond to a call by some of his colleagues to accept nomination once more for the position. The question of accounting problems in the organisation and the issue of corruption occupied his mind as he considered the task, he told the TTI gathering. “As most of you must be aware, there have been accounting problems in that organisation which attracted the attention of the legal profession and the public and, I would expect, the interest of those who subscribe to the vision of Transparency International,” he said.

“All the above thoughts were occupying my mind as I considered the task that would be involved in taking on the presidency of the Law Association at this time. “The problem with the funds of the association showed, at least, a breach of fiduciary duty by someone. “There was a seeming lack of appreciation of the principles that resignation, when errors happen within one’s area of responsibility, is required if even one is not personally guilty of actually causing the problem.” Husdon-Phillips said the way the Law Association appeared to have dealt or not to have dealt with a problem of internal corruption concerned him deeply. “It seemed to suggest a surprising level of tolerance and lack of decisiveness, apart from the absence of the ethical imperatives referred to above,” he said. “This set me thinking. My concern is whether it is possible to successfully tackle the problem in one institution alone without an aggressive effort involving all national institutions.” He said a new “skipper” for the Law Association would look to organisations like the TTI for support.