00:00The Energy Ministry had declared that the TUG, the Solucreed, is responsible for substantial
00:06damage to the livelihood of persons and the environment of Tobago caused by the oil spill
00:11in February of this year during the towing operations of a barge by the Solucreed.
00:18On Thursday, the Energy Ministry announced what it calls the arrest of the TUG in Angola
00:24and said it was ordered by the court to allow the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago to protect
00:29the fruits of its claim to recover a sum in excess of $244 million.
00:36The Energy Ministry said that sum is a preliminary figure at this stage since the full costs
00:42of this spill continue to be tabulated.
00:45The Energy Ministry's statement follows an announcement by Finance Minister Colm Imbert
00:49on Wednesday evening during his wind-up of the Senate's debate of the 2025 Appropriation
00:55Bill.
00:56I was actually passed something here and this is just, what do you call that, a public announcement?
01:01The Attorney General has asked me to announce that on Tobago, that on Friday last, through
01:08the Attorney General's office, Trinidad and Tobago had arrested the TUG, the Solucreed
01:15in Angola, which was the abandoned barge of Tobago that caused so much damage in Tobago.
01:21That is for four months, PNM style, for four months PNM style.
01:26We shrunk down that barge and we arrested it, so four months PNM style.
01:32The Energy Ministry said the arrest proceedings for the TUG were filed in Angola after a relentless
01:38pursuit of the Solucreed by the Office of the Attorney General and Ministry of Legal
01:42Affairs with the assistance and support of the Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries,
01:47the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard and the Maritime Division of the Ministry of Works
01:51and Transport.
01:52The Energy Ministry said the TUG Solucreed was ordered to be arrested in Rwanda, Angola
01:58and consequently will not be allowed to leave that jurisdiction unless security is lodged
02:03to secure the interests of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.
02:07The Ministry says it will take all steps to hold the owners and or persons interested
02:12in the vessel accountable for the extensive damage caused to the livelihood of the people
02:18and environment of Tobago as the Ministry continues the pursuit of the recovery of the
02:24sums of money expended during the cleanup exercise from the International Oil Pollution
02:29Compensation Fund.
02:31Jule Brown, TV6 News.
