Khan: Conflict of interest on Galicia
ENERGY Minister Franklin Khan yesterday questioned how attorney Nyree Alfonso was recruited under the former People’s Partnership (PP) government in 2013 to find a replacement for the MV Warrior Spirit and her law firm joined a group of companies which tendered for that replacement vessel.
Khan also asked how Inter-Continental Shipping Limited (ICSL), which was not invited to tender for that vessel, ended up replacing Alfonso’s firm and winning the bid. He said this resulted in the procurement of the Super Fast Galicia which replaced the Warrior Spirit on the domestic seabridge.
ICSL are the brokers for the Galicia which is owned by the company Trans-Med.
Khan posed these questions to the Port Authority’s board of directors as the Parliament’s Land and Physical Infrastructure Joint Select Committee (JSC) continued its enquiry into the domestic seabridge at Tower D of the Portof- Spain International Waterfront Centre.
Describing the situation as “curiouser and curiouser,” Khan told Port chairman Alison Lewis, “If that my dear lady, is not at best impropriety, I don’t know what is.” In response to Khan’s questions, Lewis said Alfonso was retained by the former transport ministry in 2013 to assist with the procurement of a replacement for the Warrior Spirit.
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Image: David Whelan (flickr)