It’s a $6.6M tab

The final tally for the Commission of Inquiry into the Piarco Airport Project is $6.6 million. This was revealed by Attorney General John Jeremie in the Senate yesterday in response to a question from UNC Senator Sadiq Baksh. Jeremie, in giving the breakdown of the costs, said fees for the Commissioners amounted to $3,140,000; fees for attorneys for witnesses — $103,500; fees for attorneys for the Commission- $2,773,500; CAT reporters and typists — $173,541.47; Quantity surveying services — $18,975; Accounting Services — $32,500; newspaper ads- $2,806.23, television broadcasting $327, 750; accommodation and meals for foreign witnesses- $18,530.44; airline tickets for foreign witnesses- $23,000; miscellaneous expenses (for example ground transportation) ($1,470) resulting in a grand total of $6,615,573.40.

Jeremie said that to date 11 persons, including a number of former government ministers and five companies are before the court on 70 criminal charges which relate to fraud and corruption in the construction of the Piarco airport. He added that Government had also filed a lawsuit in the US and Liechenstein for the recovery of $1.2 billion. “In these circumstances Government considers the expenditure of $6.6 million to be money well spent,” he said. Jeremie said the final cost of the Airport escalated to $1.6 billion, “one thousand million in excess of the original budget.”