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  • 2 years ago
After multiple requests sent to Paria, Attorney at law Prakash Ramadhar says he is prepared to go directly to Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley to get a definitive response on whether ex-gratia payments will be made to his clients.

Ramadhar is representing families of two of the deceased LMCS divers from the 2022 Paria pipeline tragedy.

In a press conference held at his san Fernando office this morning, Ramadhar says the families deserve to be treated with dignity instead of putting them through years of grueling litigation.

Reporter Cindy Raghubar-Teekersingh was there.
Transcript
00:00 If it is that they are not going to make an X-Ratio payment, let us know.
00:04 So we shall file immediately and proceed to the court where justice ultimately will result.
00:10 Back in January, Attorney-at-Law Prakash Ramadar suggested a $5 million X-Ratio payment
00:17 for each of the families of the divers who perished in the LMCS Paria pipeline disaster.
00:24 His comments then came after the Commission of Inquiry report into the incident was laid in Parliament,
00:30 a report that was highly critical of Paria.
00:34 Ramadar officially wrote the state entity on February 2nd with a 7-day deadline on the matter.
00:40 But he says more than three weeks later no decision has been made, nor has the company responded directly.
00:48 Of course, Paria's board will take advice from its lawyers, but respond as the board and not from its lawyers.
00:55 So that tells me that we are in troubled waters.
00:59 Because if these are the very lawyers who advise on the pre-action protocol that there is no liability,
01:05 turning a blind eye to the finding of the Commission of Inquiry,
01:09 and for what the nation itself has seen, the evidence has been laid bare for us all to have observed it with pain,
01:17 that we may very well have a situation where they will not, and I hazard to believe,
01:23 be making any X-Ratio payment, and I hope that I am wrong.
01:27 Ramadar represents families of two of the deceased divers, Faisal Qurban and Yusuf Henry.
01:33 He says he had committed to filing lawsuits against both LMCS and Paria before the two-year anniversary.
01:41 But that date has shifted, pending a clear response from Paria on whether or not X-Ratio payments would be made.
01:49 He adds, if a reasonable amount is agreed upon, it would bring an end to any future legal action.
01:56 Ramadar says if no word came by end of day, his next step would be to request the intervention of the Prime Minister and Minister of Energy.
02:06 Not to ask them to give a directive to Paria as to what decisions they should take.
02:14 Because the Prime Minister may very well be right, it is up to the Board to make decisions.
02:19 But that they must make a decision, one way or the other.
02:23 He believes the courts should be used as a last resort, and not as a first option.
02:29 And in a situation like this one, consideration should be given to what these families have been through,
02:35 and the overwhelming toll years of litigation could add.
02:40 I am confident beyond any doubt that we shall succeed in winning a judgment against Paria and LMCS.
02:50 But when, and at what cost to the state, and what we are saying, let's be real, let's be practical, let's be decent.
02:59 Should we not invest that money that would ultimately be spent now, and to make, not just, this is not just a financial need.
03:08 This is an emotional requirement, that some, you know, there's liability, accepted liability, the Commission has made its pronouncements.
03:17 But those who are responsible have not. And they cannot sit on it.
03:22 Cindy Raguban, Tika Singh, TV6 News.
03:26 [BLANK_AUDIO]
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