Cateau: BHC was overpaid

MINISTRY OF Works and Transport client representative on the Piarco Airport Development Project, Peter Cateau, said yesterday he was surprised and shocked that Joshey Mahabir, Finance Manager at the Airports Authority (AA), authorised the payment of US$626,296 to Birk Hillman Consultants (BHC).

The payment was for implementation of  institutional strengthening and support services. He also admitted that BHC was overpaid and it would be difficult to get back the excess money paid to them if they had already received all monies owed to them. Cateau, who was questioned yesterday by the Commission’s lead attorney Theodore Guerra SC admitted he was the one to sign cheques for work on the project and BHC had gone behind his back to Mahabir to get paid for the work. He said Mahabir had no authority to pay any monies to BHC. He agreed with Guerra that either Mahabir or former AA Chairman Tyrone Gopee interfered with the ordinary operating of the contract.

Cateau also admitted that the AA has since written him seeking to be reimbursed but to date he has not done so. He said the money paid to BHC was part of BHC’s original fees for its scope of work. Asked why BHC was paid twice and treated with kid gloves, Cateau said they did additional work and had to get more money. However, he agreed that BHC was overpaid. Asked why it had to take a Commission of Inquiry to bring out that fact, Cateau insisted that the final accounts of the project would have revealed that BHC was overpaid. He assured the Commission the matter would be corrected. The inquiry will resume at 9.30 am today.