Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister Stuart Young says the legal fees cap he referred to in the Parliament on Friday is for the Commission of Enquiry (CoE) into the San Fernando to Point Fortin Highway only.
As the Standing Finance Committee of Parliament was examining requests made by the Office of the Prime Minister, Young was asked by Siparia MP Kamla Persad-Bissessar about an additional $4.2 million in fees for the commissioners and legal counsel for that particular CoE. She sought to find out the total sum of money paid to date.
Young responded, "As far as I am aware, there has not been a payment to date."
He said he was aware that legal fees were recently agreed to, but he is not certain whether the legal team has put in their invoices.
Later in the sitting, Barataria/San Juan MP Saddam Hosein asked whether the two commissioners have a fixed remuneration package.
Young explained, "What has been done is to negotiate with them, fees for every step of the way and the hearing to cap the number of fees that can be incurred etc."
Asked about the figure for the cap on the legal fees, he said he could not remember.
In a post on Facebook on Saturday, Young made it clear that the cap on fees he referred to was specific to the COE into the land acquisition for the San Fernando to Point Fortin Highway.
In reference to a Trinidad Guardian article, Young said, "I made no reference to fees for the Paria/LMCS Commission of Enquiry as same have not been settled yet."
The members of the San Fernando to Point Fortin Highway CoE were sworn in on July 16, 2019. Retired Justice Sebastien Ventour is the chairman, while attorney Gregory Delzin will sit as a commissioner.
Recently, another Commission of Enquiry was set up by the Government to examine the circumstances of the death of four divers attached to LMSC while working on a Paria Fuel pipeline on February 25, 2022. That COE also has two commissioners.
