Fired managers led into trap’

By FRANCIS JOSEPH Thursday, July 26 2007

JOSHEY MAHABIR....victorious...

TWO senior managers of the Airports Authority of Trinidad and Tobago stand to receive millions after they were fired by the Authority in 2003. According to Justice Lennox Deyalsingh, Joshey Mahabir and Ishwar Jad-oonanan “were led into a trap” by the Authority.

Mahabir and Jadoonanan filed for judicial review of the decision of the Airports Authority to fire them shortly after the new Board of the Authority came into office. Deyalsingh, presiding in the Port-of-Spain First Civil Court, delivered a 70-page judgment yesterday in which he ordered the Authority to commence negotiations with the former managers within 45 days for a separation package, saying the Authority must negotiate in good faith.

The judge said the Authority must pay the monies negotiated with Mahabir and Jadoonanan within 28 days of completion of the negotiation. He also ordered that the Authority pay costs to the former managers.

Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj SC and Darrell Allahar appeared for the applicants while Seenath Jairam SC represented the Authority. Deyalsingh made it quite clear that the court was not asked to quash the dismissal of the applicants.

He said the applicants challenged the Authority’s actions in so far as it related to the “legitimate expectation” aspect of the case. Deyalsingh said the Board of the Authority was appointed in March 2002 after the PNM Government came into power.

The Board began seeking information about matters during the term of the UNC Board.

Relations among the four managers became strained and they submitted a separation package.

Deyalsingh pointed out that neither Mahabir nor Jadoonanan were given notice that they were being investigated or under any suspicion of any impropriety in their duties under the past Board.

The Board, he said, asked for information and the managers supplied it. Deyalsingh added if the Board wanted to conduct an investigation, it should have been fair that the applicants be given notice and a right to seek legal advice at an early stage.

Failure to do so could have meant that the applicants could have self-incriminated themselves. At the time he was dismissed, Mahabir had asked the Authority for a separation package of $2,362,942 and interest from August 9, 2002.

Joshey yuh lucky boy. Just remember yuh geh da wok under Panday and the UNC.

Yuh see how yuh ungrateful yuh gone an join up wid the COP.

Thanks to the UNC yuh is now ah millionaire.