C.S. Farley Augustine says government is yet to speak to him about US$250,000 CAF Donation for oil spill clean-up
Scarborough, Tobago – Chief Secretary Farley Augustine has revealed that the government has yet to communicate with him regarding a US$250,000 donation from the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean (CAF), intended for the ongoing Gulfstream oil spill cleanup in Tobago.
When questioned at a press conference earlier this afternoon, Augustine claimed he first learned about the significant donation through reports in the media, not via official channels. He suspects that some of these funds will be directly channeled to companies assisting with cleanup efforts under the central government’s instructions, bypassing the Tobago House of Assembly.
Meanwhile, cleanup efforts continue along the coastline. Augustine noted that crews are encountering particular challenges in the Lambeau area. Tobago has been grappling with a Tier 3 oil spill disaster since the discovery of the Gulfstream vessel capsized on a reef near Cove, polluting approximately 15 km of coastline between Scarborough and Canoe Bay. Authorities are still actively trying to determine the ownership of the vessel and its tug, “Solo Creed,” which is believed to have been traveling from Panama to Guyana.
