Saith:
No cover-up in gas price negotiations
By
Juhel Browne
Trinidad Express
Port
Spain
Petroleumworldtt.com
12 17 06
Energy
Minister Dr Lenny Saith has said there is no cover-up
in the price being negotiated for the natural gas
required for the proposed aluminium smelters.
Saith
was responding to questions raised by Opposition
Senator Wade Mark on the gas pricing issue during
yesterday's sitting of the Senate at the Red House,
Port of Spain.
Sparks
flew between the two Senators during the first half-hour
of the sitting.
Senate
President Dr Linda Baboolal had to restore order
on several occasions.
It
was Mark who drew first blood when he accused Government
of not being transparent with gas price negotiations.
Saith
immediately rose to his feet.
"I
take strong objection to the Senator saying we are
covering up.
"Madam
President, this is a Senator who chairs a committee
of Parliament, knowing full well that Ministers
are members of his committee and sets his meetings
for Thursday morning when Cabinet meets, so he is
in no position to talk about cover-up," Saith
said.
He
was referring to Mark's chairing of Parliament's
Public Accounts and Enterprises Committee (PAEC)
that ensures the accountability of State-owned enterprises.
Mark
took offence to Saith's statement, stood on his
feet and demanded a withdrawal as Baboolal rose
to her feet.
With
the Senate in an uproar, Baboolal said things had
gone too far.
Mark
said he wanted to respond to Saith, whom he accused
of misleading the Parliament.
Baboolal
said the questions and comments were getting out
of hand and asked Mark to restrain himself, while
allowing other Opposition and Independent Senators
to question Saith on the matter.
Mark
said that he had the right to raise supplemental
questions.
"But
supplementals can be controlled. Now you don't tell
me what I could do, alright. I am going to allow
a few more and then we finish," Baboolal said.
Mark
would later make another demand for Saith to withdraw
his statement as Baboolal again had to call for
order in the Upper House.
"I
am not going to withdraw a statement of fact,"
Saith said.
Trinidad
Express
Wednesday, December 13th 2006
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©2006 Trinidad Express. All Rights Reserved.
