After an investigative media report about the Tobago oil spill and owners of the capsized barge as well as governmental reports to the public on the matter, Opposition MP for Oropouche East Dr Roodal Moonilal is calling for a forensic examination into the matter.
At a UNC media briefing on Sunday, Moonilal described the February 7 spill as an “act of environmental terrorism” and said the country was no closer to understanding how and who caused the spill than when it was first identified.
“We have had this matter which constitutes a regional security issue and today an environmental disaster,” he said as he began addressing the matter at his party's headquarters at Mulchan Seuchan Rd, Chaguanas.
He noted the oil spill's effects had gone beyond the coastline of Tobago and was now affecting other islands such as Grenada, Bonaire and Aruba.
Citing a report in a Sunday newspaper, Moonilal said the public had to rely on media reports which traced the origins of the barge and related matters and chain of activities that led to the oil spill.
“If the newspaper and investigative journalists across the transatlantic ocean can do this, what is the Government doing? How come the Government of TT – with all the multilateral support at their disposal… Mr (Fitzgerald) Hinds runs the Ministry of National Security where we have spent billions on intelligence and so on, and the Government cannot respond today to tell us who are owners of that vessel called the Gulfstream barge.
“They cannot tell us, conclusively, where did it originate from? Where was it going? What was it doing?”
On February 17, the Prime Minister said while good progress was made and many leads identified, there was no definitive identification of the vessel’s operators or owners and confirmation of the offending parties.
The report said a Panamanian firm was at the centre of the spill.
Moonilal said TT was in a fascinating position where its agencies and waters might have been used to facilitate sanctions-busting (the act of trading with a country with which trade is not officially allowed).
Moonilal said the Government had not produced a report as to the owners of the vessel and what steps were being taken to call those responsible to account and to pay for the damage incurred.
He repeated the damage was long-term as the country was dealing with fisheries, livelihoods, jobs and environment.
“This Government has not been able – in 21 days or so – to bring any conclusion in terms of investigation….”
He said while the Ministry of National Security had spoken to an ongoing investigation into the matter, he said the country was no nearer to having questions answered.
Moonilal said that was why the country was now depending on reports in the press for information.
He said the report might be accurate but required state and international agencies to verify ownership.
UNC called for a full criminal forensic investigation to trace the “digital footprints of this environmental act of terrorism and sanctions-busting," Moonilal said.
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