Days after two separate attacks on media personnel from two of the country’s major media groups Guardian Media Limited and One Caribbean Media Limited, A&V Oil and Gas Limited managing director Nazim Haniff Baksh has issued an apology and is acknowledging the company has “an obligation” to co-operate with the “media, to facilitate and provide to the media and to the public, information in respect of the allegations levelled against it.”
But in a signed statement yesterday, Baksh, who has publicly admitted to the attack on Guardian photographer Kristian de Silva, is insisting members of the media entered the company’s San Francique, Penal, property “without its permission.”
De Silva sustained physical injuries and his camera was broken during an attack by two men on Friday.
OCM’s Phil Britton, a cameraman with CCN TV6, was also attacked when he visited the compound last week. A beer bottle was thrown at his car, breaking the glass on one of the windows.
A statement signed by Baksh and attorney Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj yesterday extended “apologies to members of the media and in particular members of the media who were involved in the incident.”
The company said having received legal advice and “notwithstanding the strict legal rights which exist for the enjoyment of one’s property,” it “tenders its apologies and accepts it has an obligation in this matter to co-operate with the media to facilitate and provide to the media and to the public, information in respect of the allegations levelled against it.”
In a clear about turn to the hostile stance adopted last week to get media off his property, Baksh is now inviting media personnel to a one and a half hour tour with company officials on Thursday, at which time they will provide “relevant information” on their operations.
The now media-friendly company is also saying it will host a press conference on or before Saturday, where its attorneys, “together with an official with technical knowledge,” would answer questions.
A&V Oil and Gas is now the subject of an investigation following allegations it was overpaid to the tune of US$11 million for gas which was not supplied to state-owned Petrotrin.
The statement from the company said “the public therefore has a vested right to know the relevant facts and to make its assessment in respect of those allegations.”
The allegations were first made public by Opposition leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar two Sundays ago at a UNC meeting in Couva. A&V has since sent pre-action protocol letters to both Persad-Bissessar and Petrotrin.