Controversy over Tobago's new ambulances purchased from an unfamiliar Indian brand at double the usual cost. Minority Leader Kelvon Morris says the vehicles aren't fit for purpose and has handed documents to the Office of the Procurement Regulator highlighting alleged irregularities.
00:00There are questions being raised about the Tobago Regional Health Authority's decision to purchase a fleet of ambulances from an unfamiliar Indian brand, at a cost more than double than that of established options.
00:14Minority leader Kelvin Morris says the vehicles are now unusable and unsuitable for Tobago's terrain.
00:21Brands that are tried and tested are known to this country that will refuse in preference for an unknown brand called Force procured from India for over one and a half million dollars when there were options for far less, as I just described, for about seven hundred thousand dollars.
00:45And the question have to be what would have led this TRHA or what was the motivating factors that would have led them to bypass those options for for ambulance options that are now not fit for purpose and can and just cannot work in this Tobago space.
01:08Morris says he handed over documents to the Office of the Procurement Regulator Investigator, which highlighted major breaches in procedure.
01:16I can confirm that I have since that's the last Monday, made an appearance and provided a 20 page witness statement after being interviewed by the OPR investigators.
01:33And I didn't just provide a statement, but 18 packets of documents that demonstrates the irregularities that were involved in that procurement process.
01:49When asked by the host of Morning Edition if he was surprised that the investigation was taking so long, Morris said he remains patient but is calling for justice for the people of Tobago as they deserve better.
02:02I know in this country, you know, the wheels of justice may be slow, but it do turn and therefore I look forward, as I said, to the final conclusion to this matter being pursued and fully investigated to the very end and thoroughly as a matter of fact, so that we can in fact get the kind of justice that Tobago deserves in this matter.
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