Elizabeth Gonzales
Senior Reporter
elizabeth.gonzales@guardian.co.tt
The Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) has hired nine out of a proposed batch of 12 social media influencers, with monthly salaries totalling $85,398.92.
The influencers are among 416 people hired by the Authority right after the April 28 general election, between April 29 and November 30, 2025.
Informed sources told Guardian Media Investigations Desk that twelve influencers were identified, nine hired and placed under ordinary job titles with salaries up to $12,500. They are now being used around corporate communications to attack critics and defend the Government online.
The source also alleged that none are qualified or useful to WASA’s core work.
Guardian Media Investigations Desk understands the engaged workers were placed on six-month contracts under ordinary WASA job titles. (SEE TABLE)
When combined, the influencers have an online audience of over 181,000 followers across Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and Threads.
Not all of the names were found in the internal recruitment report covering April 29 to November 30, 2025.
Guardian Media Investigations Desk reviewed videos showing influencers linked to WASA wearing branded shirts in offices and on project sites, defending Government decisions and spending.
In some videos, the influencers appeared alone. In others, they joined together.
In one video, they supported the Government’s $3.4 billion Housing Development Corporation housing contracts to 11 contractors. Those contracts are under review by the Office of Procurement Regulation, which directed HDC to pause the awards pending a comprehensive review of the procurement proceedings.
In the videos, the influencers known as Twiggy (former People’s National Movement stalwart), Matara French and Mr Miss accused the Opposition and other critics of robbing citizens of homes.
Stark, in a social media post, took his turn to defend the Government on the matter.
A WASA source said some of the influencers were placed around Corporate Communications to respond to online criticism.
The source said the arrangement was not listed as an influencer unit on paper.
Guardian Media Investigations Desk contacted several of the influencers to get their comments.
Stark Grimes responded, saying the issue was “a pointless conversation” because, in his view, many people already working at WASA were not qualified.
“I don’t want to say anything. Okay. But I mean, I could say something, because that is a pointless conversation, because there are thousands of people in WASA that are not qualified to work WASA to begin with,” Grimes said.
“What are they going to do? Are they going to fire all the WASA workers that are not qualified, which are thousands of people?” he asked.
Grimes also suggested the issue was being raised because of politics.
“Or maybe they just don’t want me in particular, or the UNC people to get a job,” he said.
He said WASA had long had workers without the relevant paperwork.
“But there are thousands of WASA workers that are qualified that have no form of paperwork to work WASA. And that have been like that over the 10 years of the PNM, 20 years. And everybody knows that, so why should that even be a conversation?” he asked.
Questionable
hiring process
Guardian Media’s Investigations Desk was sent a screenshot of a February 1 WhatsApp status by former acting Director of Human Resources, Mervyn Gibson.
The matter was said to be at the heart of his exit from the organisation.
The messages, believed to be posted to his status in error, noted two names sent by “the CEO” for immediate hire.
It said the people were to be called on that Sunday to report early Monday and start work.
Public records later showed Gibson’s resignation from the post of Director, Human Resources (Ag) took immediate effect on February 2. TTSEC records also list WASA material-change filings involving Gibson and Bunny Rambhajan.
The WASA source said the screenshot is the core of the concerns inside the authority about names being sent to HR. At the time, line minister, Barry Padarath, said Gibson cited personal reasons for the resignation, the source confirmed it was directly linked to the hiring process and concerns over names being sent into HR.
All attempts to contact Gibson were unsuccessful. The minister could not be reached for comment.
From FOIA officer
to law firm
Nearly three months after Guardian Media Investigations Desk asked for the paper trail behind its post-election hiring, WASA brought in an external law firm.
The firm asked Guardian Media’s Investigations Desk to “hold your hands” for another 42 days. A WASA source, with direct knowledge of the hiring process, said the records would expose an influencer unit payroll inside the authority.
Guardian Media Investigations Desk filed a Freedom of Information request seeking records on all people employed or engaged by WASA after the April 28 general election.
The request asked for names, job titles, departments, employment status, start dates and contract duration.
It also asked for recruitment policies, vacancy notices, appointment letters, payroll costs, internal memos, and any audits or reviews of recruitment practices.
The email trail showed WASA received the request on February 27.
On March 2, WASA’s FOIA officer wrote to Guardian Media Investigations Desk about a date issue on the form and said the request had been received on February 27.
On March 3, Guardian Media Investigations Desk agreed that WASA could process the request using February 27 as the received date.
On April 2, WASA asked for more time.
On May 1, Harrikissoon and Company’s lawyer Andre Sinanan wrote saying it had been retained to act on WASA’s behalf.
The firm said it was assuming conduct of the matter and asked Guardian Media Investigations Desk to “hold your hands” for 42 days to allow for a response.
On May 6, the firm was asked what section of the FOIA allowed that further period. There was no response.
Section 15 of the Act requires a public authority to notify an applicant of approval or refusal as soon as practicable, and no later than 30 days after the request is duly made.
Up to the time of publication, WASA had not released the requested hiring records or told Guardian Media Investigations Desk whether it had approved or denied access to the information.
When contacted for an update on Wednesday, Harrikissoon and Company said Sinanan was out of the country at the moment.
Unexpected procurement lines change
An internal WASA memo dated April 14, 2026, said the Authority had changed the structure of its Procurement Department.
The memo said the posts of Minor Procurement Manager and Major Procurement Manager were consolidated into one post called Manager of Procurement.
It said Sangita Thackoor was appointed Manager of Procurement, while Neasha Khan-Barran would serve as Strategic Change Leader and Kendall Spencer would continue as Head of Procurement.
Under the memo, the Manager of Procurement reported to the Strategic Change Leader, who reported to the Head of Procurement.
WASA’s recruitment report listed Khan-Barran as Senior Procurement Specialist, with a July 2025 start date and a salary of $22,848 a month.
Guardian Media Investigations Desk sent questions to WASA’s Corporate Communications Department and Head of Corporate Communications, Kristy Ramnarine, on whether the procurement changes were approved by the board.
It was also asked whether the posts were advertised, whether salaries or authority changed, and whether the new structure had any role in the law firm retained on the FOIA matter, as well as details on WASA’s hiring process.
It was also asked why an outside law firm was retained to respond to a FOIA request.
WASA, in response, said it acknowledged receipt of the correspondence dated Thursday, May 21.
It said, please be advised that your queries touch on operational, legal and personnel issues that require detailed review and consideration.
With respect to your Freedom of Information request, WASA confirmed that the request is being processed in accordance with the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act and established procedures.
It added in this regard, we appreciate your patience and understanding as we work to address your request.
Leaked report shows aim to hire 800-plus workers
An internal WASA recruitment report obtained by Guardian Media Investigations Desk showed the Authority hired 416 people between April 29 and November 30, 2025.
Of those, 336 were monthly paid employees, and 80 were daily-rated workers.
The report said the workers were hired for six-months in the first instance.
The report said Human Resources acted after “overwhelming requests” from divisions to address critical manpower shortages.
It said division and department heads were required to identify vacancies and short-term manpower gaps.
Where possible, the report said, internal placements were used.
Where no suitable internal candidates were available, external recruitment was done.
The report said HR used a centralised job applications database with more than 5,000 active applications. The source said the goal was to fill more than 800 positions.
The report said the database was sorted by job function, including engineering, legal, management and administrative roles.
But the report did not show who searched the database, who recommended each name and who approved each hire.
It also did not show whether every person was interviewed or whether every job was advertised. A thorough search for WASA vacancies issued after April 28, 2025 only revealed three traceable ads for Civil Engineer, Junior Quantity Surveyor and Process Plant Operator I.
The source also claimed many of the workers brought in earlier would not have their contracts renewed and would be sent home in batches as early as next week, while other people continued to be brought into the Authority.
WASA report:
Workers are needed
WASA’s report said the recent hires were needed because of manpower shortages. It said those shortages had caused higher overtime costs and poor service delivery.
It said the hires were meant to support procurement, HR, record-keeping, customer support, statutory compliance, plant operations, capital projects, maintenance, finance, health and safety.
The largest category was Administrative/Clerical, with 177 hires.
Plant Operations had 69.
Non-skilled daily-rated workers had 68.
Engineering/Technical had 45.
Project/Programme Management had 22.
Finance/Accounting had 10.
Health, Safety and Environment had five.
A WASA source said the Authority still had shortages in treatment plant operations. The source noted that WASA remained short of more than 80 treatment plant operators, while people who could not perform that work were being placed in other jobs.
The internal report confirmed the broader hiring cost was not limited to lower-level posts.
It listed senior external recruits separately.
Those posts included Director of Customer Care, Director of Operations, Director of Human Resources, Head of Procurement and several senior programme leaders.
Those salaries ranged from $45,000 to $60,000 a month.
The hiring issue was first raised publicly by former public utilities minister Marvin Gonzales months ago.
Gonzales accused the Government of hiring 426 people at WASA in seven months.
He claimed the hiring could add $60 million to $70 million to WASA’s annual wage bill. For his part, Padarath has rejected the criticism.
He said the workers were hired on short-term contracts to deal with manpower gaps.
The hirings also occurred while WASA’s finances remained under pressure. The Authority’s latest publicly located audited financial statements are for 2023. Officials told a 2021 JSC WASA had a $10 billion debt hole and the 2024 budget statement said government subventions totalled $8.118 billion between 2019 and 2023.
Soon after the UNC Government came into office, WASA’s then CEO, Keithroy Halliday, and nine senior executives were dismissed in June 2025. The dismissals were said to be part of a Cabinet decision to rescind the previous administration’s “transformation plan”.
