"I approved the award for the airport lighting but revoked the one for the Tobago runway paving until the new board is appointed since the request made of me in the letter of July 15, 2010 described the Tobago runway as 'a low to medium risk to aircraft operations'," the Works and Transport minister said in a media release.
The $162 million contract was awarded to Junior Sammy Contractors Ltd, of Sum Sum Hill in Claxton Bay.
Sammy admitted to the Trinidad Express Tuesday that he was awarded the contract towards the end of August although it was not "officially signed off" because there was no board in place.
Warner said the AATT pulled the contract from Sammy in September because there was no board in place.
The minister said he met with officials from AATT last month to discuss the Tobago runway paving project and the runway lighting project for Piarco International Airport and Crown Point International Airport.
"On July 15, 2010, the Airports Authority wrote to me requesting my approval to fix the Tobago runway, saying, 'The runway at Crown Point must be urgently rehabilitated as it currently poses a low to medium risk to aircraft operations', consistent with complaints made by airline pilots since September 27, 2002 and continuing.
"On August 24, I visited Tobago to meet the Chief Secretary (Orville London) and a delegation from the Tobago House of Assembly.
"My delegation and I inspected the Tobago runway with the technical officials from the Airports Authority, and we were shown the defective runway," the minister said.
Warner added that "the letter of July 15, 2010, from the Airports Authority to me, remains unanswered to this day, pending the appointment of the new board."
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