Young: Ask Moonilal about unused helicopter

NATIONAL Security Minister Stuart Young on Tuesday said Oropouche East MP Dr Roodal Moonilal should not be too hasty to demand a public inquiry into a Sikorsky S76D helicopter.

The helicopter was leased by the PP government in 2014 and allegedly left unused at Camp Cumuto for the last five years. Moonilal was housing minister in that administration.

Responding to allegations made by Moonilal at a UNC virtual meeting on Monday, Young observed, "Moonilal may have questions to answer as to whether he was a member of the National Security Council that approved this very disadvantageous and strange contract.

"This matter is currently the subject of litigation, and it would be imprudent for me to say any more at this time, save that, the contract was never in favour of the people of TT."

On May 8, 2019, Young told members of the Standing Finance Committee of the House of Representatives that taxpayers have to pay out $44 million owing to a civil court settlement related to the acquisition of two helicopters by the PP.

He said following investigations, it appeared there might not have been proper approval and there certainly was not Cabinet approval for these two contracts.

Young said one of the helicopters never came to TT because the certificate for it to leave Delaware, US could not be provided.

“It cost the taxpayers of TT hundreds of thousands of US dollars every month. They could not even utilise the helicopters.”

He said the licence of other helicopter. which was provided to the National Operations Centre (NOC) by the former administration. ran out within a few months of its arrival.

“So by November 2015, it was no longer licensed to fly in TT.

"But the terms of the contract were the most onerous terms as an attorney that I have ever seen entered into.”

Young said the terms allowed no termination by the TT Government, and if the contract was terminated, the helicopter had to be taken and the full cost paid.

He reported the helicopter, which burdened the NOC and late the Strategic Services Agenc,y had no maintenance contract and the attorney general at the time put in writing legal advice that the contract could be proceeded with, and a waiver of the jurisdiction.

“So even when we were sued now, by this company in the courts of New York, they held up the former attorney general’s letter that said, ‘Well, hold on, you can’t waive your government jurisdiction.'”

He said legal advice from international lawyers Freshfields was that the Government and by extension the people of TT “had absolutely no defence to this contract that was entered into by the former administration.”

He recalled the company that leased the helicopter brought proceedings against the minister of national security in the courts of New York and made a claim of US$16-$18 million. Young said the legal advice from Freshfields was to settle the matter and after negotiations, it was eventually settled.