Princes Town MP calls on Public Utilities Minister to resign

PRINCES Town MP Barry Padarath is calling for Minister of Public Utilities Marvin Gonzales to resign after a judgment delivered by High Court judge Nadia Kangaloo in the matter of Lezama vs Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA).
Padarath described the ruling as "deeply troubling."

Lezama, a senior manager at WASA, filed a lawsuit seeking access to documents related to his investigation of alleged misconduct, including interference by two managers and the misuse of a company vehicle.

Previously, WASA denied his Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request, citing confidentiality and the potential harm of disclosing sensitive information.

Kangaloo ruled that the public interest in transparency and accountability outweighed privacy and confidentiality concerns. She emphasised that Lezama had presented reasonable evidence of misconduct, including the misuse of public funds and abuse of authority.

The court found that under Section 35 of the FOIA, which mandates disclosure if there is evidence of misconduct or misuse of public funds, WASA had failed to properly consider the public-interest override.

Kangaloo ordered WASA to disclose the former executive’s unsigned employment contract or remuneration details, as well as unredacted versions of letters related to the two managers involved in the allegations.

WASA sought a 28-day stay to consider an appeal, which Lezama’s attorneys opposed owing to the urgency of the matter. The stay is set to expire on November 21.

In a November 20 media release, Padarath claimed the recent court ruling marked the second time in a week a senior government minister had been implicated in a case, and it raised serious concerns.

He believes the case points to political interference and undermining public officials. Padarath suggested the central figure in the case was Gonzales, who was reportedly an eyewitness to the alleged incident and had made the initial allegations.

However, Padarath implies the court’s ruling, which found a level of misconduct supporting Lezama’s claims, undermines public confidence in Gonzales’ ability to hold public office.

Padarath further implies the government’s actions were aimed at victimising employees who did not align with political interests. He also raised concerns about the costs to the public, questioning how much WASA spent on legal fees to defend the case.

Padarath asked whether these legal expenses were connected to the allocation of $25 million in this year’s budget for the settlement of claims at WASA. He argued if Gonzales was found to be at fault, he should personally bear the cost of damages.

Padarath criticised what he described as ongoing political persecution and also cited previous controversies involving Gonzales, including the cyber attack at TSTT and issues at WASA.

He also called on the WASA board to resign, arguing that WASA’s repeated refusal to provide information requested under the FOIA, including details of the remuneration of its CEO, Keithroy Halliday, reflected poorly on the authority's transparency.

Padarath believes that WASA is operating in the interests of the PNM, rather than serving the public.