Imbert: Media ‘misled’ public on Tobago airport project

News

FINANCE Minister Colm Imbert has accused the media of malice, misinformation and misleading the general public over details of the construction of the new terminal at the ANR Robinson International Airport in Tobago.

Imbert issued an irate statement on December 10, after addressing the airport issue at a post-Cabinet briefing at Whitehall on December 5 and then at a briefing at his ministry on December 6.

At the second briefing, he gave reporters documents/letters by several entities associated with the project. These were construction consultancy company Gleeds (one page), executing agency Nidco (four pages), consultant engineer KS&P (three pages) and China Railway Construction Caribbean Co Ltd (29 pages), in all totalling some 37 pages.

Imbert, in his statement, alleged "the media’s complete avoidance of publishing documents in its possession to correct the misinformation in the public domain regarding a leaked Cabinet Note on the airport project in Tobago."

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He said, "This suppression by the media of substantive evidence to the public smacks of deceit and runs counter to accepted press behaviour and standards."

Imbert claimed an editorial of one newspaper (not Newsday) on December 6 was deceptive.

"That editorial falsely accused the minister of relying on dubious 'word of mouth' evidence, falsely insinuated that the increase in the cost of the airport project was in the vicinity of $500 million, and questioned the airport's structural integrity, without a shred of evidence."

He said to debunk the alleged "half-truths, deception and outright lies" published he had held another press conference on December 6 and produced "documentary evidence of the structural integrity of the project" to the media from a range of experts working on the project, such as KS&P and Gleeds.

"These letters (attached) confirmed strict adherence to the most up-to-date and rigorous international building codes on the project.

"However, not one of these letters was published by the media to the public to set the record straight and correct the misleading stories produced by the media earlier in the week."

Imbert alleged the media had not honestly used the details in a Cabinet note on the actual cost of the project to date and the further funding being requested, as he said all relevant information to clear the air was contained therein. He accused one media house of overstating the terminal's cost by about $100 million and not correcting the alleged error.

"The reasons for leaving that degree of misinformation in the public domain baffle and escape the ministry."

He said the note included the project's timeline, challenges, amendments to and phases of the project, yearly costs, new requested funding to complete the project and the justifications for those requests.

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"Any right-thinking journalist and editor would see the need to share this information with the public as part of its fourth-estate role.

"This is a malicious attempt to smear the new Tobago airport terminal, which, when completed, will be one of the most modern and finest airports in the Caribbean, untainted by the naked corruption that plagued the 2001 Piarco Airport project, over 20 years ago."

Citing 1800s US publishers Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst, Imbert alleged "yellow journalism at its worst," a reference to sensationalism.

"It uses lurid features, false information, malicious campaigns and sensationalised news in newspapers to attract readers and increase circulation.

"It is to be condemned as having no place in Trinidad and Tobago."

After the December 6 briefing, Newsday reported Imbert saying the Government was allocating up to an extra $35 million (US$5 million) for unforeseen costs on the new terminal, on top of $17.5 million (US$2.5 million) already agreed.

He said US$2.5 million had been approved for payment but other claims have not been settled.

With a due completion date of March 31, 2025, he said the contractor, China Railway, had so far been paid $593 million, and was owed $282 million, making a total of $875 million, Newsday reported.