MP Hypolite: Beetham needs an apology

Beetham scrap iron dealers deserve an apology after Government on Thursday revealed that concealed diesel fuel was found in and around a Sea Lots vessel and not in an “underground bunker” or at Beetham. That’s the view of Laventille East MP Nileung Hypolite and Beetham scrap iron dealer, Joel Lee. Both spoke following Thursday’s comments from acting Comptroller of Customs and Excise Anthony Chandler on the seizure of the diesel fuel at Sea Lots which was done on August 23, two days after the state of emergency (SoE) was announced.

A week into the SoE, security forces seized thousands of dollars worth of scrap iron from Beetham operators. Subsequently, last Sunday in Parliament MP Roodal Moonilal claimed, “80,000” gallons of diesel fuel was found in an “underground bunker” within scrap iron yards. He said it was destined for export. At a Beetham function on Wednesday, Beetham activist Wayne Jordan appealed for assistance for scrap iron dealers. However, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar who spoke at the function after Jordan, maintained that 18,000 gallons of diesel fuel had been found in an “underground bunker” within scrap iron yards.

Persad-Bissessar said “all was not as it seemed” with scrap iron yards. Her statement was met with protest from Beetham operators who insisted there was no such bunker in Beetham and that the situation might have been occurring in Sea Lots. On Thursday, Chandler explained 90,000 litres of diesel fuel was found in the Sea Lots area on a scrap metal business compound. Chandler said containers of fuel were found in plastic tanks, enclosed in a metal frame, in a truck and in storage tanks under the deck of a derelict Taiwanese vessel. Chandler said the vessel’s storage tanks contained 60,000 gallons of fuel.

Yesterday Hypolite said, “The Beetham and dealers deserve an apology from the Prime Minister and Minister Moonilal as the discovery of the fuel was made on August 23—several days before Beetham’s scrap iron was confiscated.” “It was a clear indication that the statements by both the PM —who spoke in Beetham—and Moonilal (Roodal) were to lead people to believe the diesel fuel was found in Beetham.” Hypolite added, “Both the PM and Moonilal gave incorrect figures on the size of the fuel haul. Moonilal said 80,000 in the Parliament on Sunday which I was there and the Prime Minister said 18,000 when she spoke in Beetham when I was also there. But the Comptroller of Customs gave different information.”

“How is this possible when the Prime Minister as National Security chairman would surely have gotten information on the size and location of the diesel haul when it was made on August 23, one assumes?” “So why come to speak in Beetham and infer the fuel was found there? The Prime Minister could have cleared the air on the issue and stated it was found in Sea Lots, but she didn’t. We said there was no underground bunker in Beetham and the Comptroller’s statement verified it,” Hypolite added. Yesterday, Beetham iron dealer Lee said, “Beetham is owed an apology since the impression given in statements made in our presence at  Wednesday’s function was that the fuel which was found was in some underground bunker in Beetham and this was not so.”

“We didn’t hear the Comptroller of Customs say anything was found in Beetham or an underground bunker.” Lee added, “But we’d like to move on constructively and are hoping kindly the Attorney General, the National Security Minister or anyone in Government would please, please, give us a hearing on the situation with our scrap iron businesses.” “We’re not part of this Scrap Iron Dealers Association which we’ve heard the AG say he’s meeting next Tuesday and we don’t want to be left out. We’d like to meet authority who can help us work out the situation after losing our businesses. Almost half of Beetham depends on this.”

Lee added, “We cannot get work outside because of our address. My wife, a registered nurse could not get work anywhere but the North West Health Authority. I’m not in crime or gang related, God is my witness, all we’re trying to do is get work and try to provide work for others here.” Hypolite called on Persad-Bissessar to honour her call for the East Port-of-Spain Development to develop Beetham. He noted the company during the PNM’s tenure had a $27m plan for Beetham and including a plan to move scrap iron dealers off Beetham to a temporary VEMCOTT location, and then a permanent site. Hypolite added, “The company was to do that regularisation plan for dealers with San Juan corporation and the Works Ministry. I call on Government to implement this and not leave dealers jobless after taking their material.”