John's Pizza favour

By Charleen Thomas, Newsday TT

FORMER Transport Minister Jearlean John approved the relocation of air conditioning units from one part of the new terminal building to that of the Pizza Boys main restaurant, located at the second floor in time for the May 25 opening of the terminal.

The cost of those works amounted to over a $1 million.

John is now the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Pizza Boys Group. John was quoted in a newspaper article as saying that the owner of Pizza Boys, Mario Sabga Aboud offered her the job the same night President Arthur NR Robinson appointed Patrick Manning as Prime Minister.

In the newspaper article, John described the job offer as "extraordinary because I didn't know him well, but he saw me at the airport and he knew the struggle I had."

The disclosure at yesterday's Commission of Inquiry into the Piarco airport project at the Caribbean Court of Justice, will result in yet another matter for the Commissioners to consider involving John. This time, they are to conclude if John's action was a favour to Pizza Boys. John's action was made known by Kenneth Critchlow, a NIPDEC Programme Manager who was a project manager on the airport project.

Critchlow led in evidence by attorney Margaret Rose, read from a letter dated April 26, 2001 to him from Matthew Leiner of Birk Hillman Consultants (BHC). The letter stated that John's approval for the temporary use of some of the existing air handlers for the large Pizza Boys restaurant, was brought to BHC's attention.

The Pizza Boys restaurant is located on the second floor of the terminal building.

BHC recommended that the air condition units to be used were to be taken from the second floor, namely from the mechanical room and the land side hub, west side.

Leiner's letter said the second unit was part of the tenant improvement package number two and was due to be delivered to the site before the May 25 opening. BHC explained that the unit served the corridor and offices in the land side hub, but they felt tenants in that area would not be ready to occupy the space by the opening.

Another letter read by Critchlow was one from Thomas Peake and Co Ltd, also dated April 26, 2001 to NIPDEC.

That letter stated that the price for the removal of the AC units to be relocated to the Pizza Boys outlet would cost $875,900 plus VAT.

There were to be additional costs for the work, which included builder's work (cutting, painting, decorating etc), work to make the area free of infiltration of warm outside air, electrical work and work to provide condensate drains.

Critchlow said NIPDEC and the Ministry of Works and Transport client representative, Peter Cateau, approved the work based on John's initial approval.

He agreed with Rose that the approval for the work appeared to be a favour to Pizza Boys at a considerable cost to taxpayers. Critchlow said if the work was not done in that way and had gone through the normal channel it would have been less expensive or not incurred at all.

Critchlow after reading an interview with John published on Sunday, agreed that John after leaving politics was appointed CEO of Pizza Boys.

He read into evidence the article in which John admitted to having got the job offer from Sabga Aboud on the same night Manning was appointed Prime Minister.

Critchlow said Pizza Boys had eight outlets at the airport terminal and that they were the only concessionaire granted such the favour of so many outlets.

Lead attorney for the Commission Theodore Guerra, SC prompted Rose to enquire from Critchlow whether it was a favour for Sabga Aboud to give John the job, but he was stopped by Chairman Clinton Bernard, who said that was for the Commission to conclude.

COMMISSION GETS TWO MONTH EXTENSION

THE Commission of Inquiry into the Piarco airport project has been granted a two month extension by President Arthur NR Robinson.

The Commission's deadline to submit its report to the President is now February 28, 2003. The Commission's original deadline was December 31, this year.

The Commission has already sat for 65 days and heard evidence from 46 witnesses.

There have been calls from some sections of the society for the Commission to end its probe. However Chairman Clinton Bernard has advised that to do so now would break a cardinal principle.

The Commission will not sit today as a result of the Eid Public Holiday. It will resume sittings on Monday at 9.30 am.

The Commission will break for the Christmas vacation on December 13 and resume in early January, 2003.