The Board of Directors of Caribbean Airlines issued a media statement Friday confirming that it has not stopped the US$200 million deal for nine new planes from European manufacturer ATR.
It said the only decision the board has made so far is to fire Capt Ian Brunton as the airline's Chief Executive Officer for "issues which arose unrelated to the aircraft purchase".
Brunton negotiated the deal, which was approved by Cabinet approval in September before the board was appointed.
The CAL line minister, Jack Warner, has said Chairman George Nicholas showed him "no respect" by not informing him of the decision to fire Brunton. However, Nicholas and the board have said they had no quarrel with Warner.
Warner had also said Nicholas appears to be interested in negotiating a deal to buy aircraft from the Canadian aerospace giant, Bombardier.
The release from the board insisted that it "has not stopped the purchase of the ATRs but only asked the Attorney General for an expert opinion to be provided, and has not acted against Government policy nor gone against any Cabinet decisions".
It added, "The current ATR deposit is not in danger of being lost since no one on the board has communicated to ATR that the agreement will not be signed," the board added.
With respect Brunton's dismissal, the board said it acted within its authority and has not contravened any accepted corporate governance principles. In addition, the directors said they are seeking industry expert advice prior to spending millions.
"This is a reasonable development congruent with the development of the state of our corporate governance and economic growth. The board maintains that it has acted prudently in this matter," the statement said.
Speaking with reporters in Chaguanas Friday Warner said the CAL board has not acted properly and it should do the ethical thing and step down.
"If the Prime Minister and I are involved in a disagreement I will do the correct thing and leave the Government.
"And therefore one expects that the ethical thing to do, since the board and I cannot see eye-to-eye and will not see eye-to-eye, then it seems to me that something has to be wrong why they have failed to do the ethical thing."
The minister said cabinet discussed the matter at its meeting in tobago Thursday and "the matter is still inconclusive."
It said the only decision the board has made so far is to fire Capt Ian Brunton as the airline's Chief Executive Officer for "issues which arose unrelated to the aircraft purchase".
Brunton negotiated the deal, which was approved by Cabinet approval in September before the board was appointed.
The CAL line minister, Jack Warner, has said Chairman George Nicholas showed him "no respect" by not informing him of the decision to fire Brunton. However, Nicholas and the board have said they had no quarrel with Warner.
Warner had also said Nicholas appears to be interested in negotiating a deal to buy aircraft from the Canadian aerospace giant, Bombardier.
The release from the board insisted that it "has not stopped the purchase of the ATRs but only asked the Attorney General for an expert opinion to be provided, and has not acted against Government policy nor gone against any Cabinet decisions".
It added, "The current ATR deposit is not in danger of being lost since no one on the board has communicated to ATR that the agreement will not be signed," the board added.
With respect Brunton's dismissal, the board said it acted within its authority and has not contravened any accepted corporate governance principles. In addition, the directors said they are seeking industry expert advice prior to spending millions.
"This is a reasonable development congruent with the development of the state of our corporate governance and economic growth. The board maintains that it has acted prudently in this matter," the statement said.
Speaking with reporters in Chaguanas Friday Warner said the CAL board has not acted properly and it should do the ethical thing and step down.
"If the Prime Minister and I are involved in a disagreement I will do the correct thing and leave the Government.
"And therefore one expects that the ethical thing to do, since the board and I cannot see eye-to-eye and will not see eye-to-eye, then it seems to me that something has to be wrong why they have failed to do the ethical thing."
The minister said cabinet discussed the matter at its meeting in tobago Thursday and "the matter is still inconclusive."
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