Strong words tonight from Tobago businesswoman Diane Hadad who's taking a stand on what she calls the unfair treatment of two former top executives. Haddad says too often, good people get caught in political crossfire.
00:00Former head of the Tobago Chamber of Industry and Commerce, Diane Haddad, is speaking out following the recent controversy surrounding former First Citizens Bank CEO, Karen Debasie, and former Caribbean Airlines CEO, Gavin Madeira.
00:17Speaking at a post-budget panel on the TV6 Morning Edition, Haddad said, their situations highlight a troubling pattern where decisions made under political direction end up costing professionals their reputations.
00:32Both executives unexpectedly resigned following the April elections.
00:36This is me sitting as a citizen. I know Mr. Debasie's career. I've followed it. I have not seen anything to tarnish her the way she was treated.
00:49Ability and capabilities. I want to say, if Karen Debasie did something, then it was at the call of a government official in the last administration. I'm putting it out there with all disclaimers.
01:04Haddad says, too often, professionals are unfairly targeted because they're assumed to be politically aligned, calling it simply wrong.
01:15She points to revelations in the national budget that $60 million was reportedly spent by Caribbean Airlines on audits that have yet to materialize,
01:26questioning whether former CEO, Gavin Madeira, was being blamed for actions that she believes were actually directed by the government officials of the day.
01:38Gavin Madeira was the first person that stuck it out in Cal and I started to see a turnaround and in the right direction for a business model for an airline.
01:49I have to say it, totally disappointed in the way that was treated.
01:55In response, Minister of Planning, Economic Affairs and Development, Dr. Kennedy Surat Singh, had this to say.
02:02I'm not going to respond to the emotions of Ms. Sadat because at the end of the day, I don't want to treat people's personal business publicly, first of all.
02:09Secondly, at the end, you know, any Minister of Finance or anybody in any position of authority, that's cooperation, soul.
02:19And if it is that that person gives an instruction to somebody and you think that that instruction is neither good or valid,
02:26then people, again, I have walked away from many things.
02:31The Minister further tells TV6 that regarding Caribbean Airlines operations, as mentioned in the budget, the government is actively managing the situation.
02:49However, he says the public should be clear that the government carries the airline's debt.
02:54According to him, when Cal speaks of operating efficiencies and profits, it's important for the public to remember that the government is shouldering all the debt.
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