Caroni ordered to pay for Ragga Soca prizes

CARONI (1975) Limited was ordered by Justice Mark Mohammed to pay $129,000 to National Cultural Promotions (NCP) headed by Dr Vijay Ramlal for failing to deliver  prizes promised for the 1999 Ragga Soca Monarch Competition.

Ramlal and NCP were represented in the matter by attorney Larry Lalla.
Justice Mohammed said based on all the evidence and the inconsistencies in Caroni’s case it was more probable than not that the sugar company, through it representative Raphael O’Neil, had agreed to provide all the monies for the prizes as alleged by Ramlal. Ramlal claimed that in 1998 he approached Caroni about sponsorship of prizes for the competition. Then Minister of Works Sadiq Baksh, patron of the competition, held a meeting at his office with O’Neil and Ramlal. At that meeting  O’Neil agreed to sponsor the prizes in exchange for which Caroni White Magic Rum was to be the exclusive rum sold at the semi-finals  and finals of the competition. It was also agreed that Caroni would be the sole operator of the bars at both competitions and profits were to be shared with NCP. The competition was held and Caroni was given exclusive bar rights. However, Caroni failed to pay monies for the prizes as  agreed. This  affected Ramlal and NCP’s credit for the following year’s competition in 2000 and they had to borrow money to pay for prizes in the 1999 and 2000 competitions. The following year,  Bunji Garlin won the 2001 competition and his first prize was a Renault Clio motorcar, but NCP could not afford  the prize. In January this year, Ramlal took a loan and bought the vehicle for Garlin. O’Neil told the court Caroni did not pay because Ramlal agreed but failed to organise a meeting with Baksh and Caroni line Minister Reeza Mohammed to get the Caroni Board to approve the payments.