Opposition leader Bissessar bashed PM Rowley for unfair appointment in Paria investigation committee

Trinidad and Tobago: The opposition leader Kamla Persad Bissessar has once again slammed Prime Minister Rowley. Bissessar raised questions on Stuart Young’s scandalous appointment of Eugene Tiah to the Paria investigation committee.

She said that this appointment opens the door to accusations of Government tampering manipulation as well as a cover-up in these investigations.

She further pointed out the newly formed committee by the government to investigate the death of the four at Paria Fuel Trading’s facility. Bissessar stated that “The Government announced the creation of yet another special committee, this time to investigate the preventable deaths of four underwater welders at Paria Fuel Trading’s facility on March 3, 2022.”

The opposition leader further took a note on name pointed out by Minister of Energy Stuart Young is Eugene Tiah. “At no time did Young disclose the fact that in the year 2014 he was the lawyer for Mr Tiah, in the Court of Appeal against Evolving Technologies and Enterprises Development Companies Limited,” according to the opposition, Bissessar stated.

Kamla Bissessar further outlined another representative of Tiah, along with Young – Michael Quamina. Currently, Quamina has been working as a personal attorney to Keith Rowley. He is also serving as the Chairman of the Board of Trinidad Petroleum Holdings Limited – which is the parent company of the Paria Fuel Trading Company Limited.

She expressed doubt and stated that the appointment of Eugene Tiah was ‘scandalous,’ despite knowing his prior close personal as well as professional relationship with both the Ministers (Stuart Young and Michael Quamina).

She further mentioned that this appointment has, indeed, opened the doors to the accusation of PM Rowley-led government’s involvement in the tampering and manipulation in this investigation.

She further expressed grief and underscored that the (Paria) tragedy was one of the worst tragedies that occurred in Trinidad and Tobago in the span of around forty years.

She added that “the justice should not only be done to the victims but also seen to be done!”