Ex CAL Chairman blasts Dookeran on airline losses

(Trinidad Express) Former Caribbean Airlines (CAL) chairman George Nicholas has lashed out at Finance Minister Winston Dookeran, saying he has “failed his people”.

Nicholas’ rebuke comes after Dookeran disclosed the unhealthy financial position of the airline Nicholas chaired for 16 months.

CAL lost TT$339.5 million in 2011.

Dookeran disclosed the losses and the level of indebtedness of the national carrier in answer to a question from Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley in Parliament at Tower D, International Waterfront Centre, on Friday.

“The publication of the thoughts of Minister Winston Dookeran, a Finance Minister who has failed his people and in particular the hard working people of CAL cannot be left without response for fear that someone might think that his…ill thought-out comments are true,” said Nicholas in a statement on Saturday.