By Prior Beharry
BOTH former United National Congress (UNC) minister Dr Devant Maharaj and video blogger Rhoda Bharath have denied the authenticity of an invoice circulating on social media on Sunday.
The invoice purported to be from Maharaj, of DM Consulting of Tumpuna Road, Arima, has his email address and a local phone number.
It was addressed to Bharath of Real Time Accounting Services Ltd of Four Roads Diego Martin.
The invoice dated November 27, 2022, is for consultancy services of 30 hours at a rate of $575 per hour for a total of $17,250.
In a release, Dr Maharaj said, “In response to my information about prostitution and its related activity of human trafficking the UNC has stooped to fabricating an invoice claiming that I am paid by Rhoda Bharath.
“I am confident that Ms Rhoda Bharath can confirm that she never paid me for any goods or services at any time or place. ”
He said, “I have not now or ever been paid by Rhoda Bharath or the PNM and/or anyone purporting to act on the PNM behalf or paid by anyone to attack the UNC.
“The lengths the UNC continue to go to to protect and promote persons in the UNC that are engaged in questionable activities should not be surprising to anyone.”
Dr Maharaj said the number on the invoice was the one he had in Trinidad but has been disconnected since February last year. He has since migrated to Canada.
Bharath who was a paid consultant by the National Lotteries Control Board (NLCB) and partial to the People’s National Movement (PNM) government also denied the invoice.
In a WhatsApp response to AZP News, she said, “The document is an act of fraud. There is no such company registered to me. Nor have I ever retained Devant Maharaj services as a consultant.”
