Caption: Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley meeting with the widows of the Paria tragedy. Photo: OPM
By Prior Beharry
PRIME Minister Dr Keith Rowley tells the widows of the Paria Fuel Trading Company Limited diving tragedy that the company is insured.
He met with the widows of divers Fyzal Kurban, Kazim Ali Jr, Rishi Nagassar and Yusuf Henry at the Office of the Prime Minister at Whitehall on Wednesday. Also at the meeting were Attorney General Reginald Armour and Minister of Energy Stuart Young.
The lone survivor of the incident on February 25, 2022, Christopher Boodram was also present.
A release by the Office of the Prime Minister after the meeting stated, “The Prime Minister informed the families that Paria is properly insured for incidents such as that which occurred on February 25th 2022, and that despite the best of intentions, Paria, like any other insured, is required to take the advice and guidance of its insurers, in order to benefit from the coverage.
“The shareholders of Paria, who are ultimately the citizens of Trinidad and Tobago, would of course want this matter to be resolved quickly, but not in a manner that would be reckless, and affect insurance coverage specifically in place for this purpose.
“So, even if Paria were inclined to do so, it is simply not possible for a Board, to wholly ignore the fact that insurance coverage is in place, and that another party is involved, namely the contractor LMCS, and nevertheless proceed to settle the matter.”
The release stated that Dr Rowley “expressed sincere sympathy on behalf of himself and the Government of Trinidad and Tobago for the unimaginable loss being experienced by each family.”
It stated, “The Prime Minister has been advised that correspondence has been exchanged between attorneys for two of the families and Paria/insurers since February 2023 and correspondence was received last month from attorneys for one other family.
“The Prime Minister has been further advised that no figures have as yet been exchanged between the parties, and that Paria/Insurers have recently requested information from the initial two families which touch and concern details surrounding employment by LMCS and earnings. This information is crucial in arriving at a proposed figure for any without prejudice discussions with respect to settlement. That information is not yet forthcoming.
“The Prime Minister made it clear that Paria has advice from its lawyers/insurers on the issue of liability. Notwithstanding that advice, Paria and its insurers are prepared to work closely with the contractor/employer LMCS in arriving at a joint proposal with respect to a “without prejudice” settlement of this matter.”
Speaking to AZP News after the meeting the widow of Rishi Nagassar, Vanessa Kussie said they wanted the issue of compensation to be sorted out as soon as possible.
She said they raised the issue of accidents at Paria and felt the prime minister was unaware of what was taking place at that company.
Kussie said she hoped that Dr Rowley got in contact with the board to finally give the families compensation since they are tired of reliving the trauma anytime they meet officials to talk about the tragedy.
Support journalism. AZP News is an independent news organisation that is not affiliated with any big business and depends solely on advertising to pay our bills. Therefore, we are asking for the generosity of our readers to help us with small donations of any amount, but we will be happy with $20, $50 or $100. Click Here to Donate
