Young: Dutch criminal investigation into UNC Damen vessels acquisition

NATIONAL Security Minister Stuart Young has reported that the Dutch government are investigating the UNC's acquisition of six Damen vessels.

He was speaking Tuesday and responding to a motion from Opposition Senator Wade Mark calling for the tabling of the contract for Government to procure two Cape Class patrol vessels.

He said the former UNC administration rushed to purchase six Damen vessels (from the Damen Shipyards in Holland) for the TT Coast Guard.

"Let the people of TT know now the newspaper report that was published recently is true. So the procurement via the UNC-style, and we didn't call for no (sic) criminal forensic investigation – but bet your best dollar the international authorities, not the TT authorities, the Dutch authorities are conducting a criminal investigation and a forensic investigation into the acquisition of the Damen vessels by a UNC government."

He added: "And we will hear at the end of that the hundreds of millions of dollars more that were purchased and where the money went."

In 2015 the UNC government acquired 12 Damen vessels at a total cost of TT$1.358 billion.