(Trinidad Express) Former Caribbean Airlines (CAL) vice chairman and WinTV executive producer Mohan Jaikaran says he was a victim of the airline’s management.
He said as head of the audit committee, there were numerous missteps by the company’s management which were uncovered within the last four months and the board had taken a decision to deal with the management as a way to transform the airline.
He believes it was this action, which precipitated news of his requests for complimentary tickets and upgrades for a concert in which he was a promoter.
As a media entrepreneur, he said there were always two sides to a story but that what was put out against him was highly selective and targeted.
He pointed out that CAL did not offer tickets for free but it was a business arrangement in which he advertised the product.
Jaikaran, in a telephone interview with the Sunday Express yesterday, said while it was Government’s decision to remove the CAL board, he was disappointed the former board did not get an opportunity to implement its transformation plan for the airline which has been in the works for the past three months.
“The management approved it. CAL has been sponsoring shows long before I became the vice chairman,” he said.
He observed that the plan was a good one and was hopeful the new board would follow through with it.
In his view, changing the board was not the way to deal with the cultural problems at CAL.
“What you have at CAL’s top management is the same people who worked at BWIA and who do not want to change the business model or think differently about dealing with the airline. All you will get is the same result. That is where the handicap is,” he insisted.
Jaikaran does not regret the two years-plus which he spent on the CAL board under two different chairmen—George Nicholas and Rabindra Moonan.
“I did my best, I worked hard and I am very comfortable with that,” he said.
He declined to answer any questions on whether he would have changed any of the decisions which led to the million-dollar losses the company endured.
Jaikaran said he would continue to support the Government.
