PM: Seizure of Solo Creed important
THE Prime Minister says the seizure of the tugboat Solo Creed is important in terms of efforts to secure compensation for efforts to clean up an oil spill which occurred in the waters off Cove in Tobago on February 7.
The Solo Creed was towing the barge Gulfstream which got loose and was found overturned and stuck on a reef, leaking bunker fuel into the ocean.
Dr Rowley also said efforts continue to identify the owners of the Solo Creed.
He made these statements in the House of Representatives on November 18.
As he concluded the budget debate in the Senate on October 23, Finance Minister Colm Imbert announced that the Solo Creed had been seized in Angola.
In a statement on October 24, the Energy Ministry said arrest proceedings were filed in Angola after a “relentless pursuit” of the Solo Creed by the Office of the Attorney General and Ministry of Legal Affairs with assistance and support of the Coast Guard and the Maritime Division of the Works and Transport Ministry.
“The government will continue to pursue all legal proceedings in TT and elsewhere to ensure that the rights and interests of the people are protected and vindicated.”
The statement said the ministry will take the necessary steps to hold the owners and any person interested in the vessel accountable for the damage caused in Tobago.
Rowley said he believed that Imbert “in his exuberance was trying to encourage his colleagues that at sometimes, there is something that we can celebrate about Trinidad and Tobago.”
Rowley said, “The vessel and those associated with it were operating illegally and took many steps to hide their identities, including, it appears, to falsify relevant documents.”
He added that government continues to seek the assistance of other governments and international bodies in ascertaining this information.
Rowley told MPs that two weeks ago, Energy Minister Stuart Young discussed various options with the International Oil Compensation (IOPC) Fund in London for further assistance in identifying those who were responsible for oil spill.
Rowley said it will not be easy to trace the identity of these people.
But he added, “The government is on the job and if they are to be found, we will find them. This is something that goes on all the time in international maritime trade.”
Rowley said, “At least we have the vessel and we know what happened with respect to the situation (oil spill), and the IOPC is working with us to finalise our compensation.”
Couva South MP Rudranath Indarsingh asked what benefit does the population gain from the seizure of the Solo Creed but its owner or owners remain unknown and at large.
Rowley said, “If we are to make a successful claim with the IOPC, we have to show that we have taken all reasonable steps to identify the perpetrators of this illegal action against us.”
He said it is wrong for anyone to claim that the seizure of the Solo Creed was useless.
“We are doing what is required to be done, which is to find out who was responsible for the cargo (on the Gulfstream) and who was responsible to the people of TT (for the oil spill).”
Rowley said he did not understand why the UNC was not pleased.
“Having identified the vessel is offensive to our colleagues on the other side. At one time, we did not even know the vessel. We did not know what vessel was involved. We went halfway around the world with our investigation and we have found that (vessel).”
He offered a theory why the UNC have not praised the seizure of the Solo Creed.
“My colleagues on the other side, most of them, have a difficulty associating themselves with any success of the people of TT.”
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