Wade, Paray defend Nyree

ATTORNEY Nyree Alfonso was defended by two Opposition politicians in their minority report on an inquiry into the TT Inter-Island Ferry Service by Parliament’s Committee on Land and Physical Infrastructure.

The minority report by Senator Wade Mark and Mayaro MP Rushton Paray accused the majority on the Joint Select Committee (JSC) conducting the probe, of blocking Alfonso from testifying on her role in the leasing of the Superfast Galicia.

It cited her two letters to the JSC dated September and October of 2017.

“In both letters Ms Alfonso made the committee aware that certain allegations had been made against her and demanded an opportunity to respond, yet she was not given another chance to appear before the committee primarily because Government members of the committee did not want to afford her (or anyone else) the opportunity to clarify the record.”

The minority report said Intercontinental Shipping Ltd (ICSL), the Galicia’s agent, had thanked Alfonso for relinquishing her role as a proposed tenderer and told her and the port secretary that she would play no part in ICSL’s tender bid. An ICSL letter proved Alfonso had properly done her duties under the Legal Profession Act.

“Ms Alfonso’s role in assisting the PATT (Port Authority of TT) to locate suitable brokers to replace the Warrior Spirit is well documented by evidence provided to the committee as was her role in providing a legal review of the proposed charter party agreement for the vessel.

“There was no evidence presented that she engaged the port as an agent of the Superfast Galicia or that she had any role in any tender related committee or the board to determine which vessel should be selected,” the minority report said.

“There are hundreds of pages of records of committee meetings and correspondence between various actors involved with the tender and Ms Alfonso’s name only appears related to the matters she disclosed to the committee by way of oral and written testimony.”

While the Mouttet report was not supposed to probe the Galicia (but just the Cabo Star and Ocean Flower II), the minority report lamented the Mouttet report was taken out of context in the majority report and more so gave Alfonso no chance to reply to what others may have said about her during the course of Mouttet’s interviews.

“It bears noting that Ms Alfonso is a private citizen who like many others took time away from work and loved ones to assist the committee in completion of its work.

“The minority members consistently made representation to the committee that Ms Alfonso and others who requested an audience with the committee should have been permitted the opportunity.”

The minority report said other persons before the committee (such as PATT former chairman Christine Sahadeo) had asked to clarify the record, but that the majority of the committee, in particular the members of the Government bench sought to stifle further discussion on important issues.

“Worse, the majority members refused to include Ms Alfonso’s representations as either exhibits to or within the discussion of the majority report.”