People's National Movement (PNM) chairman Franklin Khan, who was yesterday appointed Energy and Energy Affairs Minister replacing Nicole Olivierre, brings to the portfolio considerable professional experience in the oil and gas industry.
An engineer by profession, Khan's career in the sector included various positions of increasing seniority at state-owned Petrotrin from 1980 to 1999. He was also business development manager at Venture Production Trinidad Limited, the local subsidiary of a British oil and gas company, from 1999-2002.
Khan's rise to political prominence began in 2002 when he was elected Member of Parliament for Ortoire/Mayaro in 2002 in the second Patrick Manning administration and was appointed Minister of Works and Transport. He held that position until May 2004.
That first political stint ended controversially when Khan was forced to step down for alleged misbehaviour in public office based on claims made by Dhansam Dhansook, a former PNM Local Government councillor. It was alleged that he accepted $120,500 in bribes from Dhansook in exchange for contracts.
Khan, who was charged with multiple counts of fraud, was eventually acquitted on all charges in September 2010.
Following last year's general election, he was appointed Rural Development and Local Government Minister in the Dr Keith Rowley Administration.
The new Energy Minister served as chairman of the National Petroleum Company from 2001 to 2002 and was a director at WASA from 1987 to 1991.