Company wants local oil producer wound-up

A PETITION has been filed for the winding up of local oil producer Mora Oil Ventures Ltd.

The petition was presented by API Pipeline Construction Company, of Fyzabad, as it seeks to recover a $2.2 million judgment debt.

An advertisement giving notice of the filing of the petition was published in the Gazette (the official legal newspaper of Trinidad and Tobago) on April 11.

It said the petition was presented by Freedom Law Chambers on February 2 and will be heard on April 17, by Justice Nadia Kangaloo.

The advertisement advised any creditor or contributory of the company in support of, or in opposition to, the making of an order on the petition to appear at the hearing.

According to the petition, on October 26, 2021, Kangaloo signed off on a consent order for money owed to API for trespass to land. The judgment debt was to be paid on or before April 26, 2022.

The petition said after the consent order was entered, API made demands for payment in 2023.

“The judgment remains unsatisfied,” the petition said.

In support of the petition, API’s director Fawwaz Hosein said he instructed his attorneys, Freedom Law Chambers led by former attorney general Anand Ramlogan, SC, to issue a demand letter to Mora Oil to pay the judgment on April 18, 2023.

He spoke of the two other attempts to get payment.

“To date, my attorneys, nor myself and/or API have received any response nor acknowledgement from Mora of our three letters for demand for payment of the sums due and owing, having been duly served via registered mail and hand delivery.

“... Despite numerous efforts, Mora has received no acknowledgement regarding settling the judgment debt.”

Hosein expressed fear there was a “real risk” of his company not being paid as he urged the court to grant the petition to have Mora Oil wound up.

“It is just and equitable that Mora be wound up.”

API is represented by Ramlogan, Natasha Bisram, Robert Abdool-Mitchell and Jared Jagroo.