Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar insists that the Keith Rowley-led Government has already formed a business relationship with corruption accused Indian busnessman Naveen Jindal in order to facilitate the processing of Venezuelan crude oil for the Maduro Government.
In a release, she said A Jindal-PDVSA deal was reached in Caracas in mid-April 2024 to operate oil fields in the Orinoco Belt. In June 2024, two months after securing an oil deal with the Maduro Government in April 2024, corruption and money laundering accused Naveen Jindal is now the Rowley Governments favoured bidder for the Pointe A Pierre refinery complex.
She asked: “Why has it not been disclosed to our citizens that Trinidadian officials have been meeting with Naveen Jindal and Venezuelan officials for discussions over the past months?
The Rowley Government has been caught in a scandalous deal to gift the taxpayer owned Pointe a Pierre Refinery to corruption and money laundering accused Naveen Jindal in order to facilitate the processing of Venezuelan crude oil for the Maduro Government.”
Persad-Bissessar said no amount of deflection and lies by Rowley and his Government can change the facts, which are that Naveen Jindal is on bail in India for corruption and money laundering charges and that Rowley is on record as saying that Jindal’s visit to him at the Diplomatic Centre on June 17, 2024, was a result of his visit to India in May 2024. This is patently untrue.
The release added that it was confirmed that Energy Minister Stuart Young, who is also a minister in the office of the Prime Minister has been meeting with Naveen Jindal since March 2023.
She said the Rowley Government has again been caught lying regarding covert dealings with the Madro Regime and she believes the refinery deal appears to be a corrupt and scandalous arrangement between the Maduro Government and the Rowley Government facilitated by the border hopping corruption accused Naveen Jindal.