Duke’s wife paid $16 million from WASA over eight years
A March 8, 2021 summary of payments by the Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) has confirmed that the company owned by the wife of Public Services Association (PSA) President Watson Duke—has been paid a total of $16,389,436.01 between 2012 and 2020.
A copy of the reported payments obtained by Guardian Media showed that Blackstone Engineering Technologies Ltd (BETL) which is owned by Kimberly De Silva-Duke, would have been paid by both the People’s Partnership (PP) and People’s National Movement (PNM) governments.
Information contained in the three-page document shows the total value of contracts awarded to BETL was listed at $16,984,326.18 – which means that De Silva-Duke is still owed $594,890.17 by WASA for completed works.
Of the $16.3 million paid thus far, BETL would have collected $11.4 million under the PP regime, while the PNM would have paid out $4.9 million.
A breakdown showed BETL collected the largest payment of $6,524,188.86 from the PP between October 2012 to May 2014.
And between June 2014 to December 2014, BETL received $3,279,391.92. During the period January 2015 to September 2015, BETL was paid $1,667,593.11.
Under the PNM government, BETL collected payments totalling $4,918,272.12.
Three months after the PNM assumed office under Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley, BETL was paid $281,393.50 between October 2015 to December 2015.
And from January 2016 to December 2020, the firm netted $4,636,878.62 in payments.
BETL has received no payouts for this year so far.
The document quoted from a review of the Oracle Financial System for the period June 2014 to February 2021, which outlined contracts awarded to BETL under the following three WASA Tender Committees (WTCs).
WTCs 05/2010 and 101/2013 for the provisions of mains repairs, installation of stop corks, curb valves and metres on an as and when required basis for a two year period;
WTC 30/2014 for provision for ground maintenance services at various facilities throughout Trinidad for a three year period.
The document stated, “The contract for the provision of main repairs, installation of stop corks, curb valves and meters was awarded to a pool of bonded contractors, : fixed rates for the provision of various services on an as and when required basis.”
It further stated that the last works awarded to BETL were for the provision of ground maintenance for a six month period from May 2017 to October 2017.
The total VAT-inclusive value of payments made to BETL over the period June 2014 to February 2021, was $9,865,247.15. It is as follows:
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