Paria’s technical lead ‘nervous’ ahead of testifying at CoE

PARIA’S acting technical lead Catherine Balkissoon admitted she was nervous moments before she testified at the Commission of Enquiry (CoE) into the February 25 Paria diving tragedy.

Kazim Ali Jr, Fyzal Kurban, Yusuf Henry, Rishi Nagassar and Christopher Boodram were doing maintenance at Berth 6, belonging to Paria Fuel Trading Co Ltd, Pointe-a-Pierre, when they were sucked into a 30-inch pipeline. Boodram was the only survivor.

At Tower D at the Port of Spain International Waterfront Centre on Wednesday, Balkissoon asked for permission to drink her coffee as she had been “too nervous” to drink it on her way there.

She then apologised.

CoE chairman Jerome Lynch, KC, reassured her there was no need to be nervous as none of the legal personnel there were “wearing wigs or gowns.

“You use that (coffee) whenever you feel you need to. There’s water there also for you.”