TT Spirit Crew Stranded Over Payment Issue: MP Demands Answers

Oropouche West MP Dave Tancoo is alleging that on-duty crew members of the inter-island vessel, the TT Spirit, have been virtually abandoned at sea with no means of relief, since the ship was drydocked aboard another vessel out at sea for a prolonged period. Tancoo says that he has been reliably informed that the crew is quickly running out of supplies and are at this time detained on their own vessel, unable to leave. What is more disturbing, according to him, is that the reason for the crew’s now perilous situation is because of the Government’s inability to pay for the repairs to the said vessel, which have been reportedly completed several days ago. 

Tancoo claimed that according to sources at the Port Authority of Trinidad & Tobago, the technical crew of the TT Spirit have been marooned at sea, on board their vessel which is currently hitched to a foreign, privately owned repair vessel – the White Marlin, in spite of the maintenance works being completed several days ago, which the Government is yet to pay for. The crew are reportedly now short on food, with no idea as to when the TT Spirit will be released, causing concern for their families at home in T&T.

As a result, the MP for Oropouche West is calling upon the Government to immediately provide answers as to why they have once again put the lives of our citizens at risk, reportedly as a result of their inaction over payment issues. “While the Minister of Finance is fixated on taxing the citizens and the sleeping Minister of National Security remains clueless, the crew of the TT Spirit – hardworking nationals just doing their jobs, are being held to ransom because the Government has apparently defaulted in what is a simple contractual payment”, says Tancoo.

MP Tancoo wants to know why the money has not been paid, or if it has, why has the White Marlin refused to release the TT Spirit from the stronghold of its raised deck. The Oropouche West MP also questions why, notwithstanding the completion of repairs to the vessel, has the Government failed to secure the safety of the crew, given the fact that their stores are critical and their families are now in a state of worry.

The Opposition MP asks, “Is it that when the Prime Minister is away, nothing can take place? Is it that he has total control over all decisions and that the rest of the Government cannot function to rectify simple but critical matters such as these? The Minister of Finance must also tell the country how much more money this latest fiasco has cost the population of this country. The additional cost payable to the White Marlin, including possible penalties for the last four (4) days and counting, is paid by taxpayers and is paid in scarce foreign exchange. While this is itself objectionable, what is even more unacceptable is that no one has been held accountable for this wanton wastage and disregard for the lives of our citizens. Stop the silence and bring our national property and our people home now!”