Ria Karim, the daughter of former minister of tertiary education and skills training Fazal Karim, was fired by phone on Friday as CEO of the T&T Creative Industries Company Ltd (Creative TT).
Sunday Guardian has learnt that Karim, who was appointed to the post on January 5, 2015, received a telephone call from Creative TT’s chairman Neysha Soodeen informing her of the dismissal.
It was also learnt that hours after Karim’s removal, a legal letter was sent to Creative TT with regards to the sacking.
“It’s now a matter of litigation. This will go straight to the court,” a close friend of Karim confided to this newspaper yesterday.
Minister of Trade and Industry Paula Gopee-Scoon, under which Creative TT falls, said she was aware that Karim had been dismissed, but insisted it was “not politically motivated” and that “no victimisation was attached to it. I am making that absolutely clear to you.”
When told that Karim had been fired by phone on Friday, Gopee-Scoon said she knew nothing about that.
“However, I will investigate,” she promised.
Gopee-Scoon said the Creative TT board “ought to run on its own.”
Having met Karim personally, Gopee-Scoon said she could not say anything negative about the young woman, whom she described as a lovely professional.
“I could never say anything of disrepute. I would never do that. Sometimes there are circumstances. She has a whole life ahead of her. I quite like her personality. I like young professional people who like to take a way forward. She has a future. I don’t want to see anything negative about that girl in the newspapers. I don’t really speak like that to reporters. It would give the wrong impression.”
Gopee-Scoon said she got along well with Karim (Fazal), the Chaguanas East MP.
“I want you to know that.”
In June of 2013, Creative TT was created under then minister of trade and industry Vasant Bharath to oversee the increased commercialisation and development of the creative industry sector.
Contacted on her cellphone, Karim refused to comment about her sacking.
“I prefer not to say anything,” Karim said.
Yesterday, Soodeen’s phone was answered by a woman who identified herself as her mother and promised to relay the message.
“She (Soodeen) is in a meeting. She is not available right now. I am sorry.” Up to late yesterday, Soodeen, who is CEO of MACO Investment Group and the founder, owner and managing director of Toute Bagai Publishing Company, did not return our call.