CAL leases SUV for $20,000/month for use by chairman: Report

A report in the Express newspaper on Sunday stated that Caribbean Airlines (CAL) is leasing a Toyota Prado vehicle for $20,000 a month for the chairman of the CAL board, Rabindra Moonan.

It said the vehicle is leased from a local company, Triple D Rentals, and is costing more to rent than the Audi Q7 that Moonan first requested.

The Express said it asked Moonan about it. He is quoted in the paper as saying, "CAL may have leased a Prado for themselves and they have used it to transport me to various events. If there are any events which I attend on behalf of the company, the company provides me with transport."

The paper quoted from the State Enterprises Performance Monitoring Manual titled: "Improving The Corporate Governance Framework for State Enterprises" published by the Ministry of Finance in July 2011, which states: "Company cars or car loans should not be granted to chairmen or directors."

The manual also outlines the entitlements of chairmen of state boards. The Sunday Express said it understands the chairman of CAL is paid a meeting fee of $7,000 and is entitled to $1,000 in travelling.

In addition, the vice chair is paid $6,500 per meeting and is entitled to a $750 travelling allowance while directors are paid $5,500 meeting fee with a $500 travelling allowance.