Caption: Minister of Finance Davendranath Tancoo

By Prior Beharry

FINANCE Minister Davendranath Tancoo on Friday listed premium alcohol— including champagne, whisky and brandy—seized by Customs and Excise and then disposed of to the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), People’s National Movement MPs and at least one mayor. He said this occurred nine times in as many years at the OPM.

Tancoo was winding up debate in the House of Representatives on measures to increase taxes on alcohol and tobacco. He said he had “a big folder” of requests and proceeded to list quantities and types of alcohol acquired for events.

As Tancoo began itemising the disposals, uproar broke out in the chamber. St Ann’s East MP Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly objected, saying the details were irrelevant. Speaker Jagdeo Singh overruled, stating: “It is very relevant to the issue of smuggling. Smuggling was used as a bugbear. The minister is entitled to say… you seize alcohol… look… Alcohol seized by the Customs and Excise Division, whether prohibited or due to some infraction of the customs laws, is then stored and distributed on requisition. So we dealing with smuggled items.”

Tancoo said Port of Spain South MP Keith Scotland held a gala fundraiser in 2024, “PNM September Affair,” and was supplied with:

• 70 bottles of champagne
• 40 bottles of Bollinger
• 30 bottles of L’Hoste Demi-Sec
• Two premium hampers

He said former Arima MP Anthony Garcia received for a function:

• 1 case of vodka
• 1 case of rum
• 3 cases of brandy
• 1 case of whisky

Tancoo said he had a document titled “Disposal of Alcohol” detailing agencies, entities and persons who applied to obtain alcohol seized by Customs and Excise for events, and that it was signed off by the Minister of Finance.

He listed items received by the OPM as follows:

December 1, 2016 (end-of-year party):

• 6 bottles of whisky
• 6 bottles of rum
• 6 bottles of brandy
• 6 bottles of vodka

December 28, 2016:

• 6 bottles of Johnnie Walker Black
• 5 bottles of Baileys
• 4 bottles of Hennessy
• 4 bottles of Black Label rum
• 2 bottles of White Oak rum
• 6 bottles of Absolut Vodka
• 1 case of red wine
• 1 case of white wine

July 7, 2017:

• 10 bottles of White Oak rum
• 10 bottles of Black Label rum
• 10 bottles of brandy
• 10 bottles of vodka
• 10 bottles of brandy

December 14, 2019:

• 5 bottles of whisky
• 5 bottles of brandy
• 5 bottles of vodka
• 5 bottles of rum

November 2020:

• 6 bottles of Scotch whisky
• 3 bottles of red rum
• 6 bottles of wine
• 3 bottles of white rum
• 4 bottles of Hennessy
• 5 bottles of Baileys
• 3 bottles of port

April 17, 2025:

• 4 bottles of Malibu Coconut Rum
• 4 bottles of Campari
• 4 bottles of Johnnie Walker
• 4 bottles of Absolut Vodka
• 4 bottles of Diamond Reserve Rum
• 4 bottles of Banco assorted wines
• 2 bottles of Jose Cuervo tequila

Tancoo said the Mayor of Port of Spain also received the following in 2024:

• 6 bottles of 1824 (rum)
• 6 bottles of Angostura 7 Rum
• 6 bottles of Black Label
• 24 bottles of White Oak
• 12 bottles of Tito’s Vodka
• 6 bottles of Merlot
• 6 bottles of Sauvignon Blanc
• 5 hampers

“The abuse of this citizenry, the abuse of public access, the abuse of taxpayers of this country has come to an end,” Tancoo said.