OPPOSITION Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar is calling on Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley to fire the board of Paria Fuel Trading Company in the wake of the Lynch Commission of Enquiry report that stated the company could be charged with corporate manslaughter.
Her call is similar to ones being made by the Oilfield Workers Trade Union (OWTU), the Movement for Social Justice (MSJ) and other commentators after the death of four divers at a Paria facility almost two years ago.
At a United National Congress (UNC) press conference on Sunday, Barataria/San Juan MP Saddam Hosein said, “Four citizens of this country have died. The board of Paria must be fired and or resign forthwith. They must not receive another cent of taxpayers’ dollars after president over the catastrophic deaths of these four divers.”
In her release on Monday, Persad-Bissessar citing the contents of the Lynch report, said, “This finding is not surprising given the overwhelming evidence that was already in the public domain, when the lone survivor from the pipeline tragedy publicly shared his story about the nightmare, which he and his family endured because of Paria’s cruel and inhumane conduct.”
Divers Christopher Boodram, Fyzal Kurban, Rishi Nagassar, Kazim Ali Jr and Yusuf Henry, all working for contractor LMCS, were sucked into the pipeline because of a Delta P condition on February 25, 2022. Only Boodram made it out while the bodies of the others were retrieved days later.
She gave the names of Paria board members – chairman Newman K George, Fayad Ali, Avie Chadee, Peter Clarke, Eustace Nancis and Reza Salim.
Persad-Bissessar said, ” Taxpayers funded this Commission of Enquiry and genuine and meaningful action must be taken or else the Prime Minister would be guilty of the worst form of political hypocrisy and deceit.
“PM Rowley must put the country and the bereaved families first and his personal friendship with PNM friends and financiers second, for once.
“Paria’s Chairman, Newman George is the husband of House Speaker Bridgette Annisette George and Rowley’s golfing partner. It is time to put the public interest before the golf club, due to the serious nature of the findings and the tragic loss of life.”
The release added, ” Further, Dr. Rowley’s personal lawyer, Mr Michael Quamina S.C. is also the Chairman of Paria’s parent company, Trinidad Petroleum Holdings Limited.
“His role in this fiasco should not be underestimated and also justifies his immediate removal given his failure to intervene and take decisive action to save the lives of these men.”
She said Minister of Energy Stuart Young should also be fired. because he does not have the decency to tender his resignation.
Persad-Bissessar said, “The Westminster System of parliamentary democracy is such that the buck stops with the line Minister with overall responsibility for Paria. We cannot forget Minister Young’s presence at the scene of the crime when, instead of instructing Paria to mount a rescue effort, he joined with them in public relation stunts and gimmicks that were designed to do political damage control and save face for the PNM.”
She said Occupation Safety and Health (OSH) Act contemplates two different forms of legal action and while the DPP can bring criminal charges, OSHA is also empowered by law to take legal action.
Persad-Bissessar said the government cannot divorce itself from OSHA because it was Dr Rowley who is responsible for appointing the members of the OSH Authority. She also listed the members of the authority:
Chairman Curt Cadet
Deputy Chairman Christopher Hagley
Carolyn Sancho
Farouk Mohammed
Dr Wayne Ramgoolam
Kendal Dolly
Jose Trejo
Marisa Ann Bhawanie
Farzan Ali
Christopher Alcazar
Ceron Richards
Deryck Richardson
Roger Camacho
Jacqueline Burgess
Jason Maitland
Maurice Wishart
She said, “The prime minister must therefore come clean and tell the nation what the government’s policy position is given the fact that the Commission has red-flagged the limitation period for legal action by OSHA which expires on 24th February 2024.”
Persad-Bissessar said, “Dr Rowley must also explain why, in the knowledge that this deadline was fast approaching, he suppressed this report and took two months to lay the report in Parliament. Was Dr Rowley trying to run down the clock to save the skin of his friends Newman George, Michael
Quamina, and Stuart Young when it was clear that prompt action was required, and the walls were closing in?”
She said the the Commission of Enquiry cost taxpayers $16 million in legal fees and listen Paria’s legal team:
Gilbert Peterson SC
Jason Mootoo
Gretel Baird
Thane Pierre
Sebastian Peterson
Persad-Bissessar said, “This Commission was nothing more than a feeding frenzy for PNM lawyers, friends, and financiers. Whilst the lawyers have fattened their pockets, the poor victims and their children have not received one red cent from the Government. The UNC maintains that we did not need a Commission of Enquiry to tell us what anyone with a modicum of common sense already knew: that Paria was guilty of gross negligence due to its mismanagement of this incident when they prevented rescue attempts that could have saved lives. We therefore call upon the Government to allocate a similar sum that they have paid the lawyers for the Commission of Enquiry and distribute it to the families.
“Dr Rowley must instruct Paria to accept liability for negligence and commence negotiations so that these families, who endured pain, suffering, and trauma in the aftermath of their loss, could get their just due.
“Whilst no amount of money can ever compensate them for their loss and the pain, suffering, trauma, and humiliation they have been made to endure at the hands of Paria, it will at least bring some measure of relief.”
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