Backlash from Soldado

TRINIDAD and Tobago continues to be haunted by allegations of corruption against the former UNC government. On Thursday, we were told that the government has been sued for US$100 million by an international oil company claiming, among other things, that a former UNC minister and officials of Petrotrin had solicited bribes in order to influence the award of the contract for developing the South West Soldado oilfield. The Texas company, FW Oil, had succeeded in obtaining the offshore exploration contract in 2002 but it was later terminated.

According to Attorney General Glenda Morean-Phillip, the breach-of-contract matter will be settled through arbitration proceedings which will begin in Tobago in December. The AG, speaking at a press conference at Whitehall, declined to name the former UNC Minister who is accused of soliciting the improper payment, except to say that he is no longer a member of Parliament. Normally arbitration in cases such as these are held in private, so that the media will not be admitted to the sessions, which are expected to last about six weeks, and therefore the public will not be given the details of the proceeding until, perhaps, it is concluded.

Ministers of government soliciting bribes from companies in order to secure contracts for them is a vicious kind of corruption not only because it illegally unlevels the playing field and may result in all kinds of irregularities and inefficiencies but, as we now can see, it exposes the country and its tax-payers to serious and costly risk. According to the AG, TT can end up having to pay US$100 million plus other costs including heavy legal fees. Already, two English attorneys, one a Queen's Counsel, have been engaged to represent the government in this matter. In addition, this kind of corruption serves to erode the good name and reputation of our country.

In advance of a settlement, the AG has declined to name the former Minister or the Petrotrin officials implicated in this bribery scandal or the amount of money they allegedly requested from the Texas oil company. She noted, in fact, that there would be no legal follow up action against the persons involved in the dispute with FW Oil. In our view, however, this can hardly be the end of the matter. The fact is that this scandal erupted some two years ago when the UK firm of Integrated Security Services, hired by Petrotrin, conducted an investigation into bribery reports over the Soldado bidding.

The ISS report, excerpts of which were published, concluded that "there was compelling information to suggest there is a high-level conspiracy involving international companies, a Minister with the TT government and senior members of Trinmar, to benefit financially." We recall that this report was given to the then Director of Public Prosecutions Mark Mohammed and became the subject of police investigations. We must now ask, whatever became of these investigations, are they still in progress? How come no charges have yet been laid? The AG has also indicated that the Government will approach the US government for help to determine what legal action can be taken against anyone involved in this affair under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. This newspaper insists that our country exercise and maintain a zero tolerance for this kind of corruption. We cannot have Ministers and public officers seeking to enrich themselves by the dishonest abuse of their office and authority. Apart from its economic damage, it serves to undermine the moral and ethical standards we must live by. Otherwise all fall down.