Energy Minister Kevin Ramnarine says allegations of a racket involving pitch and bitumen from Trinidad Lake Asphalt cannot be determined until the facts are studied.Ramnarine, who spoke with reporters after a ceremony in commemoration of Energy Week at Harris Promenade, San Fernando, on Wednesday admitted there was a shortage of bitumen and asphalt for contractors' use and said the circumstances that led to that situation needed to be examined.
Recently, Lake Asphalt chairman Kuarlal Rampersad told Works and Infrastructure Minister Jack Warner that millions of gallons of asphalt and bitumen cannot be accounted for.Ramnarine said: "What happened is there was an observation with the misalignment between the demand and supply for bitumen. We are currently trying to understand what is driving that mismatch between supply and demand."