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DAVID LEE, Pointe-a-Pierre MP, on Wednesday said any disciplinary action against a senior official at Massy Holdings for publicly complaining of "bizarre rituals" may breach the Government's whistleblower legislation, addressing a briefing at UNC headquarters at Chaguanas.
He spoke as Massy launched an investigation into concerns by vice president Angelique Parisot-Potter at the company's AGM last Monday alleging necromancy and white light self-healing were part of Florida-based training on which Massy had spent scarce foreign exchange.
The Whistleblower Protection Bill 2022 was debated in the House of Representatives in February 2022 but has not reached the Senate and so is not yet in force.
Lee described Parisot-Potter as a whistleblower at Massy which he said had previously supported the legislation but now had a problem with Parisot-Potter's remarks.
"We will have more to say on that," he promised.
Massy in a statement on Tuesday denied by the claims by Parisot-Potter.
The company said it was "appalled" at her statement at the AGM which alleged Massy had spent scare foreign exchange on a training programme in Florida involving bizarre rituals and highly dubious activity. "The company categorically denies using the programme to train people to communicate with the dead or heal them with 'white light', as alleged by Ms Parisot-Potter.
Massy described her remarks as "patently untrue and scandalous."
It said the Massy board of directors has begun a disciplinary process to review her conduct at the AGM against her duties as general counsel and would follow due process to determine how this should be handled responsibly yet decisively.
Lee accused the Government of ignoring small and medium enterprises (SMEs), while Massy enjoyed access to foreign exchange.
He said Finance Minister Colm Imbert in his budget touted “building capacity for diversification” but now it was clear the Government was anti-small business, especially in its foreign exchange (forex) supply.
Lee said this Christmas, SMEs were struggling to make profits or even survive.
He listed complaints by business groups.
He referred to what he claimed were comments from the Couva-Point Lisas Chamber, “If the situation is not dealt with soon it would contribute to inflation. The price of goods will go up."
Lee said the Chaguanas Chamber feared some businesses would have to reduce their workforces and merchandise just to stay in operation.
He cited the San Fernando Chamber, “If you see the vendors on the streets, small businesses, micro, medium and large, everywhere you turn its not doing as well as expected.”
Lee opined, "So we face an island-wide forex crisis which is crippling hundreds of businesses throughout the nation."
He blamed the forex crisis on Imbert. Lee said on November 1, Imbert promised to work with Exim Bank to create a specific supply window for SMEs to obtain forex.
"He never implemented this facility."
Lee said Imbert had perpetually promised to address the forex crisis, but had taken no action, such that SMEs were collapsing.
"But while the small firms cannot access forex, large companies who are not even net earners of forex are using up forex to train their workers to 'talk to the dead.'
"While businesses which require forex to fund the purchase of key items and sustain jobs, Massy’s CEO Gervase Warner without remorse has told us that the company has spent between US$500,000 and $1 million on this programme. An even bigger slap in the face of all citizens, is the fact that Warner has admitted that Massy is not a net forex earner."
Lee said Massy's biggest shareholder was the State via the National Insurance Board owning 20 per cent, followed by Republic Bank (10 per cent) and the Unit Trust (4.5 per cent).
"Is it that the Government has given Massy preferential treatment or access to forex because they are the major shareholder for these wasteful activities while key businesses providing key services in our economy suffer?
"We are now seeing that the Massy’s board has hit out at its general counsel Mrs Parisot Potter for her comments. But as a country starving for forex, as a nation experiencing massive business closures due to the forex shortage, we are grateful she has exposed this issue."
Lee said fenceline communities were suffering economically.
"Marabella was once one of the busiest and liveliest towns around Christmas. Five years after the closure of the refinery it has become a ghost town!"
Lee said the country was experiencing a bitumen shortage, to the detriment of the nation's roads.
"The bitumen from Petrotrin was tested to ensure that it was of a high quality. Now some contractors are importing bitumen which may not be tested and even called into question in an effort to save on cost. This imported bitumen is being shipped to contractors directly without any verification."
Lee feared those roads would not last long but again fall into a deplorable state.
"The paving on the new section of the Point Fortin Highway is already showing. The contractor must tell us, why is the asphalt on the new section of the Point Fortin Highway deteriorating? Is it because of poor quality bitumen or poor asphalt design?".
Lee questioned the country's gas-supply and energy earnings.
"The natural gas price is currently US$2.50. The Minister of Finance has pegged it at US$5. Despite their claims of earning a basket price, the price of natural gas around the globe is falling while we in Trinidad and Tobago have the added burden of lower production.
"The Minister of Finance must tell us, with lower production and almost certain lower prices, how will this affect our revenue? Will he come for billions more at the mid-year?"
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