Public Utilities Minister Reveals Water Racket In Sangre Grande

Public Utilities Minister Reveals Water Racket In Sangre Grande

Public Utilities Minister Marvin Gonzales says he has information of a water trucking “racket” involving “elected Councillors” of the Sangre Grande Regional Corporation.

Speaking to reporters at a Sod Turning Ceremony for the construction of the Guanapo and North Oropouche Water Treatment Plants on Wednesday, he alluded to a water trucking racket in the Sangre Grande area involving high level officials in the area’s Corporation, noting that water is being withheld maliciously.

“There are Councillors, elected Councillors, sent by the people of Cumuto/Manzanilla and Sangre Grande to represent their interests, they have interest in trucks. They own businesses, own these trucks, and ensuring, unfortunately, with the assistance of some people within the Authority that you turn off the valve, you ensure that pressure is not given to a particular area where you force people to purchase water.”

Minister Gonzales confirmed that an ”active investigation” is currently ongoing into the matter.

“I expect that the outcome of it would result in action being taken against those persons who are culpable in engaging in this unfortunate practice of illegal water trucking in the Sangre Grande Regional Corporation.”

He also noted that the Ministry of Rural Development and Local Government is also involved in the issue.

“Evidence was passed to them. The Anti-Corruption Unit, I’m told, of the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service is also working on information that was passed to them to investigate the information that was passed with respect to the illegal water trucking in the Sangre Grande Corporation. So the Ministry is doing it from an administrative perspective, and the TTPS is doing it from a criminal investigation perspective.”

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