(Trinidad Express) Over TT$3.6 million was spent on private jet travel between 2007 and May 2010 by former prime minister Patrick Manning, Foreign Affairs Minister Suruj Rambachan revealed yesterday.
And, he said, Manning made a total of 40 trips during that period. Faced with criticism from the PNM on what they see as Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s frequent travel, Rambachan gave details on Manning’s travel and also sought to demonstrate that the travel made by the Prime Minister was fully justified.
As he itemised the cost and each instance when an aircraft was used, there were cries of disbelief from his colleagues. Rambachan revealed that in one instance the trip cost almost TT$100,000 per person when in 2009 Manning led an eight-member delegation to Brazil, Paraguay, Ecuador, Nicaragua and Mexico at a cost of TT$754,860 by private jet.
Rambachan, who made the disclosures in a statement to the House of Representatives, said there had been a lot of discussion on the issue of the chartering of a Caribbean Airlines flight to Brasilia and Rio de Janeiro for Persad-Bissessar’s most recent trip.
He said the total cost of the charter was TT$547,322. Of this amount the Trinidad and Tobago Government paid TT$232,196 and the private sector paid TT$312,284. The Prime Minister had taken a 40-member State and private sector delegation to the World Economic Forum in Brazil, chartering a 737 aircraft which could seat 154 people.
“It is interesting that our friends on the other side tried to make much about this charter. However, it is instructive to examine some of the costs incurred by the former prime minister and Member of San Fernando East during the period 2007-2009,” Rambachan said.
Rambachan said in 2007 Manning made 13 trips including visits to Ethopia, Tanzania, Jamaica, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Guyana, Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Belize, USA, Barbados, Cuba, and Uganda. A number of these trips were made using private jets.
2007
• Between March 2 and 3, 2007, TT$63,819 was paid to lease an aircraft to Guyana for a delegation of four.
• On March 16, TT$95,128.74 for a leased aircraft to take a delegation of five to the Dominican Republic.
• For a trip to Venezuela on March 20, a private jet cost TT$64,404.25.
• TT$202,781.25 for an aircraft to take a delegation of seven to Belize between May 11-12.
• On December 7, for a one day trip to Guyana an aircraft was leased for TT$59,819.93.
2008
Manning made 15 trips.
• A one-day trip to Jamaica cost TT$127,539.75 to lease an aircraft for a delegation of six.
• For a visit to the Bahamas it cost TT$251,739 for the aircraft to take a delegation of eight.
• A trip to Mexico cost TT$246,480 for a delegation of six.
• In July of 2008 an aircraft was leased for a cost of TT$243,337.50 for a delegation of six.
• In August, Government paid TT$176,400 to lease an aircraft for a delegation of four to travel to Antigua, St Kitts and Nevis and Dominica, “almost $44,000 per person”.
• Between August 25 and 26 “the then PM spent TT$792,593.24 for a leased aircraft to take a delegation of seven to Bahamas, Belize, Jamaica and Suriname.
2009
There were ten trips, five of which were done by leased aircraft.
• It cost TT$754,860 to take an eight-member delegation to Brazil, Paraguay, Ecuador, Nicaragua and Mexico.
• It cost TT$50,715 to transport the then PM and a delegation of five to Barbados for a one-day meeting on March 4.
• For a two-day meeting in Belize, it cost TT$218,679 for a leased aircraft and a delegation of eight
2010
Two trips by leased aircraft were made.
• One to Santo Domingo for a delegation of six at a cost of TT$171,612.
• TT$127,400 to Suriname for a delegation of ten.
