Minister of Public Utilities Barry Padarath says a forensic investigation has uncovered more than TT$30 million in unsupported invoices linked to WASA’s water-trucking operations under the former administration.
This comes as he responded to former Public Utilities Minister Marvin Gonzales over what Gonzales described as a ‘water-trucking racket’.
In his contribution to the budget debate, the Minister said an Ernst & Young forensic investigation into transactions between 2019 and 2024 linked to WASA’s water-trucking operations had uncovered millions of dollars in irregularities and unsupported invoices.
“Who was the Minister? Who was the Government? The resulting report has identified one, irregularities totalling approximately $11.4 million. An additional 450 unsupported invoices valued at TT$30.1 million for which documentation was not provided.”
Minister Padarath said the report identified widespread weaknesses throughout WASA’s payment and oversight systems, raising concerns about accountability and record-keeping.
He said the findings pointed to what he described as a water-trucking racket operating during the tenure of the previous administration.
“High risk of error and fraud, non-compliance with policy, missing signatures, retrospective POs, unauthorised alterations, vendor discrepancies. Mr Speaker, this is what the EY report says happened under my colleague for Arouca/Lopinot. $30.1 million in bobol and water trucking services. So my friend knows what he speaks of but did not tell the country that it happened under him.”
He went on to link the findings directly to a company, claiming the report suggested millions of dollars may have been improperly paid.
“They say connect the dots. Mr Speaker, Flexible Enterprises, $78 million in work. $30.1 million that EY tells us more than likely is fraudulent. The Companies Registry provides all the documentation. So it has the financing, et cetera, whether or not there’s a mortgage bill of sale, et cetera. So it’s in the constituency of Arouca/Lopinot under the former Minister, $30.1 million has been cited by Ernst & Young. But when you go on the Companies Registry, one of the attorneys is Sharon Clark-Rowley. Mouth open, story jump out.”