Port Head: ‘Everything in my lawyer’s hands’

Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Port Authority Charmaine Lewis yesterday returned to her job following a one week absence.

Lewis said she will continue to function as Ag CEO despite her office being broken into last week and her computer seized by Port Authority Police. Asked how she was functioning without her computer, Lewis said, “I do not wish to make any comment except to say that I am leaving everything in the hands of my attorneys.”

Lewis said she will carry out her responsibilities as long as she is employed with the port. Lewis has been at loggerheads with Works and Transport Minister Rohan Sinanan following her testimony at a Joint Select Committee of Parliament.

She believes after she gave evidence at the JSC, she was unfairly targeted by the Works and Transport Minister when he accused her of not telling the truth before the JSC, during an interview he had with a reporter. Sources at the Port Authority said there are plans to send Lewis on all her accrued leave pending the outcome of an internal investigation. This investigation surrounds the ongoing ferry fiasco and relates to the award of contracts for vessels to ply the sea bridge and the alleged leaking of information on those contracts.

On Friday last, during a political meeting at Piggott’s Corner in Belmont, Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley said Minister Sinanan was being unfairly targeted by persons who wanted him out of the job. Rowley said he had hand-picked Sinanan to weed out any corruption at the Port Authority.