(Trinidad Guardian) Caribbean Airlines (CAL) has spent over a quarter-million dollars to fly one its directors — Abhedanand Persad Sharma and his wife, Lisa Ramnarine-Persad — to India to accompany Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar on her trip. The T&T Guardian understands CAL footed bills for the first class airfare, which averaged about TT$250,000, as well as hotel expenses of around TT$75,000. In addition, the T&T Guardian learned a per diem (daily allowance) of US$350 ($2,250) was paid to both Sharma and his wife. “When the accounts department questioned who approved the duty allowance for Pundit Persad and spouse, since that usually has to be approved, it learned it was a direct instruction from the chairman,” the T&T Guardian was told.
In a telephone interview yesterday, CAL chairman George Nicholas confirmed he approved the trip on December 30, 2011. Questioned why CAL footed the bill for Sharma’s wife, he said: “It was part of the rationale. We are sending him 20 hours away and that was one of the things he had asked.” Nicholas said Sharma was tasked with exploring code-sharing arrangements between CAL and India. “He was briefed before he left and we expect to be briefed when he comes back,” said Nicholas.
Sharma, who in the past has performed Hindu prayers for Persad-Bissessar, was not part of the PM’s contingent when the $10 million trip was announced. Sharma and his wife did not travel with Persad-Bissessar on January 2 when she left T&T. Instead, they left on January 4 and travelled to India, via New York. Due to the late bookings, the T&T Guardian understands CAL had to pay higher prices for flight and accommodations.
Hotel prices, the T&T Guardian understands, are between US$350 ($2,250) to US$450 $2893)a night. Nicholas, as well as Transport Minister Devant Maharaj, had stated CAL’s intention to fly to Heathrow and to India. In a press statement yesterday, Maharaj said he was in India “for signing the air services agreement between the Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and the Government of the Republic of India. “The minister also is exploring various transport solutions with respect to air, land and sea transport that can be adopted by Trinidad and Tobago,” the statement added.
However, an informed source told the T&T Guardian CAL recently had sent someone to sort out the regulatory issues pertaining to flying there so there was no need to have any directors there. Further, the discussion has now changed from CAL flying to India to Air India coming to T&T. The T&T Guardian was told: “This comes at a time when all CAL departments are being forced to cut back to save money. The Swift air wet leases were terminated prematurely to save money.
“Of course, someone in CAL will have to get approval from the Ministry of Finance for that expenditure. Should be interesting.” Persad-Bissessar travelled to India to attend the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in Jaipur, Rajasthan, India, as well as to shore up investment opportunities. Apart from a business delegation, she is accompanied by Public Utilities Minister Emmanuel George, Food Production Minister Vasant Bharath, Foreign Affairs and Communication Minister Surujrattan Rambachan and Maharaj.
