Public interest advocate Wendell Eversley has filed three requests under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), seeking disclosure of three Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) signed by the Government which surround the development of data centres, and the recommissioning of a former iron and steel plant.According to a release yesterday, the requests were submitted through his attorneys-at-law, Randall Mitchell and Stuart Young, SC, and were directed to the Ministry of Foreign and Caricom Affairs, the Office of the Prime Minister and the Point Lisas Industrial Port Development Corporation Ltd (PLIPDECO).Eversley is seeking complete executed copies of an MoU between the Government and Ernst & Young LLP concerning the proposed development of large-scale data centres and supporting infrastructure; an MoU between the Government and Hummingbird AI Holdings LLC concerning proposed artificial intelligence infrastructure and a data centre facility; and an MoU involving the Government, Pinnacle Steel and Vanadium Corporation and PLIPDECO concerning the refurbishment, recommissioning and operation of the former iron and steel plant at Point Lisas.The requests seek complete copies of the agreements, including signature pages, schedules, annexes, appendices, exhibits, attachments, addenda and any documents incorporated into or forming part of the MoUs.In the release, Eversley said the agreements concerned major national assets, strategic infrastructure, State lands and projects that could have implications for public finances, industrial development, technology policy and the wider economy.He referred to the Sandals project and noted that the former government and Sandals had eventually made their MoU public in what was described as the interest of transparency.“This Government must now apply the same standard and release these MoUs to the people of Trinidad and Tobago,” Eversley said.He stated that the requests were limited at this stage to obtaining copies of the executed MoUs and argued that the public should be allowed to examine the agreements before assessing any obligations, concessions, timelines, land arrangements, incentives, safeguards or financial exposure arising from them.Eversley also called on the relevant authorities to respond within the framework established by the Freedom of Information Act.He further raised concerns about what he described as difficulties faced by members of the public when attempting to make FOIA requests.He said some public authorities maintained websites that were unavailable or outdated, while others did not clearly identify designated officers or provide e-mail addresses for the submission of requests.Eversley said public authorities could not promote transparency while failing to provide clear, current and accessible information on how citizens could exercise their statutory right to access official documents.