Caption: Minister of Energy Dr Roodal Moonilal. AZP News/Prior Beharry
By Prior Beharry
ENERGY and Energy Industries Minister Dr Roodal Moonilal has accused his predecessor, Stuart Young, of leaving the ministry without English-language records of the previous Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) licence for the Dragon gas field, and questioned how terms were agreed if only Spanish documents exist at the ministry.
Moonilal said that when the current administration took office, there was no active OFAC licence in place for the production and development of Dragon, the cross-border gas project involving Venezuela.
He added that, upon requesting records at the Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries (MEEI), officials could locate only documents written in Spanish related to earlier negotiations.
“There is no official document in English at the MEEI and Mr Young doesn’t speak Spanish, so how did he agree to terms?” Moonilal asked, suggesting the former minister may have removed documents when he left office.
@azpnews.com Did former Energy Minister Stuart Young take away documents when he demitted office?, asks Dr. Roodal Moonilal. Video: Alicia Chamely @roodal_moonilal99 @uncandproud @uncusasupporters @the_unc_movement #dragongasdeal #documents #ofac #energyminister #license
He also that the former prime minister appeared to read from Dragon-related papers at a press conference on Friday, implying those documents are not held at the ministry.
Moonilal further disputed former prime minister Dr Keith Rowley’s assertion that his administration did not spend $100 million on the project. Citing records at both the MEEI and the National Gas Company (NGC), Moonilal said taxpayers paid “in excess of” TT$120 million on Dragon.
The minister’s comments come as the government announced it has secured a new, time-limited OFAC licence.
According to Moonilal, the licence—publicly outlined by the Attorney General—runs for six months and permits negotiations and transactions necessary for progressing the development.
He said the government intends to pursue a phased negotiation process and pledged “open governance and transparency within the law.”
@azpnews.com No documents in English on former OFAC licence for Dragon gas under PNM, says Energy Minister Dr. Roodal Moonilal. Video: Alicia Chamely @roodal_moonilal99 @uncandproud @uncusasupporters @the_unc_movement #energyminister#ofac #dragongasdeal #license #pnm
Moonilal credited what he described as four months of intensive work by stakeholders under the leadership of Prime Minister Kamla Persad Bissessar for the new licence. He said the government would “move with haste” to conclude discussions and enter negotiations to reach an agreement “in the best interests of the people of Trinidad and Tobago and all stakeholders.”
The Dragon gas field, located in Venezuelan waters near the maritime border with Trinidad and Tobago, has long been viewed as a potential source of supply to bolster Trinidad’s gas-dependent economy.
The project has been subject to U.S. sanctions policy, requiring OFAC licences for development activities.
