Opposition Leader Calls for Imbert’s Resignation in Tobago Airport Scandal

Imbert has been exposed by his own cabinet note as either an incompetent or a liar, the public will decide. It seems that he had amnesia at Thursday’s presser but regained his memory by 1 pm on Friday.

He was extremely disorganized and contradicted himself multiple times in his presser today. Fumbling with figures and confused when faced with questions by reporters, he appeared lost and panicked. His own cabinet note admitted to massive cost overruns and flawed designs coupled with inferior work. I remind the country that he brought the note with the reports attached to cabinet and got it approved only last week; how did he not remember the note and reports yesterday but remembered today after publication by the media?

Again, he misled the public as there are NO savings on land acquisition as that process is still ongoing. The government took money from the $300 million land acquisition loan to pay for cost overruns. I have repeatedly said the government is broke and surviving off of borrowings. The letters presented from Herbert George on behalf of NIDCO are worthless, Mr George should begin the process of acquiring a good personal lawyer and a new copybook. Only last month he told the media that the project was on budget; this has now been exposed as a lie. He must be removed as chairman of NIDCO.

The other letters provided were of a generic nature and provided no financial or technical evidence that have been verified. Where are the technical test results and audited account statements?

Yet again Rowley has behaved like a lazy cowardly old man and hid from the public after throwing a tantrum about the exposure of the massive cost overruns and flawed construction. This is the latest failed project of Rowley whose only achievement in 10 years was to raise his salary and allocate 50 million dollars for feteing and rum drinking. The highest cost overruns of $461 million dollars could have gone to improving education, security, healthcare or job creation in Tobago. By the end of this project, this Rowley government will cheat the people of Tobago out of $461 million dollars.

What is also concerning is that every member of the cabinet must have known about these massive cost overruns and design issues, but they all remained quiet and assisted in covering it up from the public. This corrupt cabinet are the same people who have shamelessly been selected by the PNM to face the 2025 General Election as candidates.

Minister Imbert cannot account for $3 billion of taxpayer’s money; now he has been caught lying about the true status of costs at the Tobago airport terminal. It’s time for Imbert to step down or be removed as Minister of Finance. He has absolutely discredited himself.

I stand by my comments regarding the status of this project and again repeat my call for a criminal investigation into this project.