Audit Port of POS – Alexander

By Sue-Ann Wayow

POLITICAL Leader of the Progressive Empowerment Party (PEP) Phillip Alexander is calling for an audit into the operations at the Port of Port of Spain.

“The Port Authority of Trinidad and Tobago, the Customs and Excise Division need today an audit. Forget Commission of Enquiry. Bring today uncorrupted police officers, national security officers and do a sweep today,” he said while at a visit to the port.

Showing videos of containers and parked vehicles in a social media video on Wednesday, Alexander said approximately half of the containers on the port were allowed to go unchecked.

“More than 50% of the containers in this country get on ships, offload in Trinidad load up on trucks like this and leave the port without anybody scanning, sniffing, smelling, opening or looking,” he said.

Narcotics, guns and ammunition were also transported in similar containers.

Alexander alleged that many of the unchecked containers belonged to a list.

“There is a list of companies whose containers are not checked. There is a list of companies who deal with specific customs officers. Those specific customs officers are in charge of specific companies,” he claimed.

The owners of the container’s contents were also paying less duty than what the State was entitled to, Alexander claimed.

He said, “I know of people who boast that a case of apples out of a container at Christmastime and the customs officer take his envelope and go, so you have a corrupt and broken nation.”

Alexander said the woes such as underfunding and understaffing of the Customs and Excise Division were not new.

“Our country is broken by deliberate design. Plenty of those who are successful in business in Trinidad and Tobago are successful in white-collar crime, criminality and corruption,” he said.

Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley having been a parliamentarian for decades and was now head of the National Security Council mustknow about activities taking place at the port, Alexander added.

In his video, he acknowledged that there were “good and decent customs officers” also saying that in Trinidad and Tobago whistleblowers got murdered.

And he gave his suggestions for a more efficient port system.