A high-stakes political and legal dispute has erupted in Trinidad and Tobago, after Public Utilities Minister Barry Padarath launched pre-action legal proceedings against Communication Workers’ Union (CWU) Secretary General Joanne Ogeer over damning allegations she made at a September 14 union-hosted press conference. The contentious claims centered on Padarath’s supposed involvement in improper activities at state-owned Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago (TSTT).
Attorney Jared Jagroo delivered the formal pre-action letter to Ogeer on Monday, with senior counsel Anand Ramlogan and attorney Ganesh Saroop also representing Padarath in the matter. The correspondence outlines a 14-day window from receipt for Ogeer to meet all of Padarath’s demands; failure to provide a satisfactory substantive response will result in immediate court filings without additional advance warning.
According to the legal document, Ogeer’s public statements framed Padarath as complicit in unreported wrongdoing at TSTT, accused him of intentionally ignoring alleged corruption and other improper conduct, and claimed he was unduly influenced by TSTT chairman Kern Dass. Additional allegations included claims that Padarath received internal documentation detailing purported corruption, conflicts of interest, and suspicious business deals at the telecommunications firm, and that he subsequently ordered TSTT’s chief executive officer to step down. Ogeer also reportedly claimed Dass acted as Padarath’s personal political financier – an assertion Padarath flatly denies.
Padarath’s legal team stresses that all of the allegations put forward by Ogeer are entirely false. The minister has never received the purported corruption file, never issued an order for the TSTT CEO to stand down, and denies all claims of financial impropriety or improper ties to Dass. The legal team adds that the false claims have intentionally painted Padarath as dishonest, financially compromised, and complicit in unethical activity at TSTT, causing severe and ongoing damage to his professional and personal reputation.
The original press conference was carried live on air and later uploaded to the CWU’s official Facebook page, before being picked up and reprinted by multiple mainstream Trinidad and Tobago media outlets. This widespread distribution, Padarath’s attorneys argue, has significantly amplified the harm caused by the false claims.
Among Padarath’s demands are a formal written apology, a high-profile public retraction posted to the CWU’s Facebook page and any other platform where the original allegations were shared, the removal of all social media content including the original Facebook reel that repeats the claims, and a formal written promise that Ogeer, the CWU, and all affiliated representatives will not reprint or repeat the allegations in the future. Padarath is also seeking monetary damages for defamation and full reimbursement of his legal costs. If Ogeer fails to meet all terms within the 14-day period, or issues any repeat allegations, Padarath will move forward with full legal proceedings seeking aggravated and exemplary damages, a court-ordered injunction blocking further publication of the claims, and additional legal relief.
This latest pre-action letter marks the second legal threat leveled against Ogeer stemming from the same September 14 press conference. Last week, separate pre-action correspondence was sent on behalf of Kern Dass and TSTT Corporate Secretary Viveka Pargass. In that matter, attorney Samantha Singh-Poona gave Ogeer 48 hours to withdraw her claims against the two TSTT executives, issue public apologies, and provide all factual evidence supporting her original allegations. Ogeer’s claims against Dass included attacks on his professional competence and his handling of TSTT’s bond refinancing and activities tied to the entity Maritime, while Pargass disputed allegations made about the circumstances of her appointment to her TSTT role. Singh-Poona also warned that failure to meet the 48-hour deadline would result in immediate court filings, including applications for injunctive relief to block further publication of the claims.