Government seeks international consultants for Paria enquiry

The government has been advised to use an international investigation firm to act as a consultant to the commission of enquiry into the February 25 Paria Fuel Trading Ltd incident that killed four divers.

The Prime Minister announced this latest development, on Wednesday, while responding to a question in Parliament from Naparima MP Rodney Charles on when the CoE would start work.

The bodies of Yusuf Henry, Kazim Ali Jr, Fyzal Kurban, and Rishi Nagessar were retrieved on February 28 and March 1 after they went to do maintenance work on a pipeline at Pointe-a-Pierre and were sucked in. Christopher Boodram was the only survivor.

Sub-contractor LMCS had urged more rescue attempts but Paria said a multi-agency team of experts on the scene had warned against putting more lives at risk.

Soon after the incident, government announced a five-person committee to investigate and report within 45 days. The Prime Minister revised this plan when the Opposition raised questions about the relationship between the team members appointed and the government.

On March 10 government announced a commission of enquiry, consisting of former head of Jamaica's Appeal Court Justice Cecil Dennis Morrison QC (chairman) and local subsea specialist Gregory Wilson.

Former attorney general Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj SC will act as lead counsel to the commission.

Cabinet is still in search of a third member. who would be an investigator with international experience in oil and gas industry investigations.

Rowley said as the government sought the third person from outside Trinidad and Tobago, the others would be able to function as the CoE.

He added, “What we have been advised, as we look for that third person, is that what is possible to be arranged is to have a foreign firm that does these investigations act in a consultant role to the two-man commission, and that is what we propose to do from here on.”

While this is being organised, Rowley said everything to facilitate physical infrastructural arrangement and other support for the commission is in progress.

“It will be up to the chairman of the commission to determine what calls are made for papers and appearances, and the commission will conduct its business as an independent body, independent of the Cabinet.”

The prime minister was also asked to give the House an update on the Occupational Safety and Health Agency's (OSHA’s) investigation into the Paria incident.

Rowley said the government is doing all it can and cannot give a timeline of when this investigation would be completed. It has to wait for OSHA to hand over its final report to Cabinet.

"Investigation by OSHA is not a matter for the Cabinet until a report is produced. No report has been produced, and therefore there is no road for the government at this time and there is nothing to report until OSHA has done its work.”