AN agent representing a private jet company says she was not committing fraud by attempting to help Trinidadians to return home.
Sasha Singh lashed out at National Security Minister Stuart Young after he said a probe was underway to find out if Trinidad and Tobago nationals abroad were tricked into paying a private aircraft charter company thinking that they would be allowed to enter TT.
Young made this disclosure during the Health Ministry’s virtual media conference on Monday, but he did not indicate which company was being investigated.
However, Singh, who represents a private service jet company in Miami, posted a video on social media on Tuesday.
She said, “Today I was presented with two articles written directly to me from the Minister of National Security Stuart Young.”
Singh said, “He said yesterday in his press conference that he’s going to conduct investigations into companies that are telling persons that they can get exempt to get into Trinidad.”
She said, “People are desperate to get into their country. You have ignored their pleas and their cries. They have not even gotten a response but a generic response, ‘thank you for contacting the Ministry, we’ll get back to you shortly.’”
Singh said, “You should ask yourself as a Minister, are you doing the right humane thing for those citizens that are reaching out to you?
She continued, “I reached out to you on behalf of the citizens of this country I told you that we operate a service. You’re giving exemp(tions) to persons who can’t afford a private jet service but yet you’re giving exempt(ions) to the very wealthy or well-connected to get into Trinidad.”
Singh asked, “What is the requirement or criteria for getting an exempt into Trinidad
She said, “I would have you know there was a repatriation flight that we were involved in from New York to Guyana last week, 160 persons were sent to Guyana and they were managed very well by the Guyanese Government.”
Singh said, “This private jet company followed the protocols that your ministry outlined which was apply as a group, show full receipt of payment and hotel accommodation and they would be entered in.”
She added, “We followed your Ministry’s guidelines we did not get upon ourselves and misrepresent as you are purporting it to be.”
Singh asked about the $934 million Covid-19 “relief heritage fund” claiming that no one got any help abroad and even in Trinidad and Tobago.
She said, “The real issue at hand is that the money is not being accounted for, the persons are not getting exempt in and the quarantine facilities are not properly equipped.”
Singh said, “Put yourself to productive use rather than making illiterate, naughty comments like this using the media to do so because there are hundreds of persons that will stand with me to say that you have ignored them and you have not executed the proper measures in giving exemptions to re-enter their country.”
