Government continues search for Gulfstream owner

THE Prime Minister has said the Government continues its search for the people responsible for the abandonment of the Gulfstream, the partially submerged barge that caused the February 7 oil spill off the coast of Cove in Tobago.

Dr Rowley, at the post-Cabinet briefing at Whitehall in Port of Spain, told reporters the Government’s efforts to track down the people responsible led to Angola, where the Solo Creed, the tug boat allegedly towing the Gulfstream, was spotted.

However, he said, the Government still has not caught up with the culprits.

“The people who are engaged in activities like that go very far to cover their tracks. So far, we have not been able to isolate the individual owners who have the liability for that, but we continue to search,” Rowley said.

“The fact that they removed the tracking device on the hauler should tell you that the intention was not to be held accountable if something happens. So when they got into difficulties they cut it loose and Tobago paid the price.”

The Gulfstream was refloated on August 19 and moved to Sea Lots on August 22. On August 24, a Ministry of Energy media release reported that unauthorised people had tried to board the vessel, resulting in a shootout with the Coast Guard.

The Ministry of Energy said the vessel continues to be protected by the TT Coast Guard and the police.

At the post-Cabinet briefing, Rowley was asked whether he believed there was contraband on the overturned vessel. He said he didn’t want to speculate.

“I don’t know enough about that to comment on it, but I certainly would not go down that road,” he said.