The issue of how a party boat was given licence to operate as a floating restaurant by Customs and Excise, despite objections and queries from Finance Minister Colm Imbert, seems to be setting course for a courthouse.
In the latest disclosure of letters, attorney Kiel Tacklalsingh, acting on behalf of Adrian Scoon, rubbished the minister's claim that Imbert gave no instruction to issue a special licence for the Ocean Pelican, on which 100 people were detained for allegedly breaching covid19 regulations on Boxing Day. Scoon is the son of Trade and Industry Minister Paula Gopee-Scoon.
Tacklalsingh said the minister's instruction to not issue the licence was not as clear as the minister indicated, noting that a memo circulated in the public domain questioning the effect of the issuance of the licence, did not give concrete evidence that the request for the licence was denied.
Tacklalsingh, in his letter also noted that he copied the Minister of Health Terrence Deyalsingh and Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi to the correspondence and gave Imbert seven days to respond or they will take the matter to court.
Imbert said in a release to the media that he gave clear instructions not to issue the licence, given questions raised on its effect on the covid19 regulations and in his release attached a memo pointing out that the licence should be deferred. Tacklalsingh said the memo attached to the letter only suggested that the licence be deferred and not rejected. He added he found it strange that the licence was issued, paid for and collected although the minister didn't approve it.
“To suggest that the memorandum attached to your press release does more than seek clarification on December 3 or that it constitutes “clear written instructions to the contrary” is, quite respectfully, a leap of logic with which we simply cannot agree.”
Tacklalsingh's letter also denied Imbert's claims that Scoon withdrew his application for the special licence and challenged the minister to present evidence that it was withdrawn noting that the acting comptroller of Customs and Excise made no mention of such withdrawal.
Tacklalsingh said the decision not to grant the licence, if one was indeed made, constituted a clear misdirection of the law, noting that there is nothing in the regulations that prohibits the operation of a safe zone on a boat.
“The Minister of Health has clarified his position and/or his intentions with respect to safe zones by articulating clearly that such zones can exist on vessels such as the MV Ocean Pelican,” the letter said.
On December 26, between 5.30 pm and 9.30 pm, Western Division officers got a report that several people were on a 72-foot catamaran, later identified as Scoon’s Ocean Pelican, docked near the Anchorage.
Police detained and processed the guests, staff and owner on the boat then allowed them to go home pending inquiries.
[caption id="attachment_932524" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Finance Minister Colm Imbert. - Parliament[/caption]
On Tuesday last, the office of the Attorney
