Attorneys for CDS Transport have written the Prime Minister and other ministers regarding NP's $40 million trucking contract, querying statements by the Prime Minister about the contract. Attorney Martin George issued the letters yesterday, noting that although CDS had written the Energy Minister on the issue, there had been no reply, yet government officials have made statements on the issue publicly.
The Energy Ministry has called for a report on the issue by next week. In his letter, George stated: "We note from public utterances, from no less a personage than the Honourable and esteemed Prime Minister, that it has been declared that a company by the name or style of Gopaul & Company Ltd has 'won' the bid for the tender at caption.
"In light of this, we wish to pose the following questions to you for your urgent response, as your investigative team finalises their report," he said. Noting that NP had also said no bidder was communicated with on the outcome of the bid process, George posed a series of questions on the Prime Minister's statement, adding: "It appears, however, that communication has been issued to the Prime Minister about the 'outcome of the tender process,' because she has said publicly, that Gopaul & Co Ltd has 'won' the tender bid but that no contract has been awarded. "Please indicate when the Prime Minister was notified of the 'outcome of the tender process' and also explain why the bidders themselves have not yet been so notified of the 'outcome of the tender process' by NP?" he said.
George called for details of GCL's track record, how this has surpassed CDS', GCL's plans for the contract, including its gasoline truck capacity and if NP has inspected that. He also queried if NP had done an occupational health and safety assessment of GCL's plant, equipment and compound to handle gasoline trucking. "What has been NP's assessment of Gopaul's health and safety and environmental capabilities in light of the Newsday report of a Gopaul & Co Ltd garbage truck bursting into flames earlier this month...If Gopaul's trucks can burst into flames just carrying garbage, has NP now approved this as a safe company for the transport of gasoline?" George stated. In a May 12 letter to the Energy Minister, George had called for a probe of the issue and intervention "in this circumstance which appears to reek of unfairness, nepotism and a certain level or degree of recklessness" by NP.