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File photo/David Reid

A COURT of Appeal judge has suspended High Court declarations and orders which would have had severe consequences for National Petroleum’s (NP) service stations.

On Friday, Justice Vasheist Kokaram granted the order to NP, the state-owned gas supplier, after the Petroleum Dealers Association (PDA) did not resist the application.

The suspension of Justice Avason Quinlan-Williams’ orders covers the hearing and determination of NP’s appeal and a separate appeal by the Minister of Energy. The hearing of the two appeals, which were consolidated, is set for June 9, 2023.

In May, Quinlan-Williams ruled on a judicial review claim by the PDA challenging late energy minister Franklin Khan’s decision to grant NP a retail marketing licence for a gas station in Diego Martin.

In its application for the suspension order, NP warned the court’s declarations would have severe consequences on its business operations, in particular 67 of its service stations, and “will affect the travelling public” and compromise TT’s fuel security.

NP said the judge’s declarations brought into question the legitimacy of the terms and conditions of contractual arrangements of gas stations run by dealers.

On June 17, NP, which was an interested party in the claim at the High Court, filed its notice of appeal.

In its application, NP warned about the immediate and practical effects of Quinlan-Williams’s declarations. It said each dealer would be required to obtain its own retail marketing licence, and while they waited for that, the gas stations could not operate, “which will impact the delivery and availability of fuel to the public.”

Disruption in operations would also have a severe financial impact on NP and affect its ability to continue business generally, the application further noted.

NP said this was not limited to the supply of fuel to service stations but also applied to jet fuel, marine fuel, lubricants, LPG (cooking gas), greases and other products.

Closure of the service stations would not also affect other businesses with which NP has commercial partnerships for quick service, such as fast-food restaurants and banks

It also said any adverse impact on its profitability would be detrimental to the shareholder – the corporation sole.

“There will be a resultant loss of revenue to Government not only as the shareholder but in relation to all other taxes and levies which are payable by NP on its revenues.”

NP is represented by attorneys Russel Martineau, SC, Kelvin Ramkissoon and Gregory Armorer. The PDA is represented by a team led by Senior Counsel Fyard Hosein.

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File photo: Former police commissioner Gary Griffith.

FORMER commissioner of police Gary Griffith says the Police Service Commission (PSC) never suspended him or withdrew the merit list of nominees to be CoP. This, he said, is reflected in minutes of a PSC meeting.

Griffith was addressing a National Transformation Alliance (NTA) meeting in Barataria on Thursday.

“The minutes from the PSC…at no time did they ever withdraw the merit list.

“So if the only governing body that has the authorisation to withdrawn merit lists did not withdraw it, it meant that somebody used a letterhead and somebody operated outside of the law. Somebody broke the law.”

He insisted a crime had taken place, but said the media had not sufficiently looked into it.

“That merit list fiasco is one of the biggest embarrassing situations this country has ever faced.”

Griffith alleged President Paula-Mae Weekes had failed to forward the merit list to Parliament which, he said, had been her duty to do.

“We have a prime minister treating President’s House as if it is a post office, and decides to go there, meet the chairman of the PSC, and then foolishly decides to boast.”

He said a Jamaican case empowered a government to hand over official correspondence to an independent body, but that did not apply for the PSC issue.

Further, Griffith said the minutes showed pressure being put onto the PSC to suspend a commissioner.

“That is misbehaviour in office.”

A commissioner had been suspended without lawful authority, he said.

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REFLECTIE / Iwan Brave Het sloeg in als een bom dat Iamgold de Rosebelmijn heeft kunnen slijten aan Chinese handen.

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Des dizaines de personnes étaient réunies vendredi à Fouquereuil (Pas-de-Calais) pour un dernier hommage à la petite Lola, retrouvée morte le 14 octobre à Paris, à l’initiative du maire de cette commune dont…

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Luxury-bus service Knutsford Express is reporting significantly improved net profits for its first quarter ended August 31, 2022, buoyed by increased passenger travel following the removal of COVID-19 restrictions both locally and internationally, the company said.

Net profits for the period stood at $84.2 million, up from $15.2 million recorded in the first quarter of its previous financial year.

“The rebound of passenger travel, the continued growth of [the] courier business and the new rental income from the Drax Hall Business Centre resulted in the improved performance over the previous year,” the company said.

Knutsford Express acquired the Drax Hall holding in 2019, a year before the pandemic hit, as a means of diversifying its income stream and investments.

Revenue also grew to $415 million, a 78.5 per cent jump over the corresponding period last year when the company posted $233 million in revenues.

Knutsford Express said it implemented a number of initiatives to drive growth over the period of review, including smarter route planning and income diversification.

Its subsidiary, KE Connect Limited, has also been repositioned to make “… a greater contribution with its focus on the charter and travel market.”

Total assets also grew from $1,314 Million to $1,523 Million or 15.9 per cent, the company said noting its investments in technology and property contributed to the growth seen for the period.

Knutsford Express expanded its courier service in 2020 amid the pandemic’s impact on its core business.

At the time, diminished fares resulted in the company posting losses of $25.1 million, making the June to August 2020 period the worst quarter in its history.

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