PM mum on dismissal of Caribbean Airlines' CEO

 PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC):

Trinidad Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar said she would not comment at this time on the dispute between Works and Transport Minister Jack Warner and new Caribbean Airlines (CAL) chairman, businessman George Nicholas.

Persad-Bissessar said she would first seek advice from the attorney general before making a statement on the dispute.

CAL's Chief Executive Officer Captain Ian Brunton was dismissed last week amid media reports of tensions between Warner and Nicholas.

In a brief statement, CAL said that Brunton has "demitted office" and that the present vice president, Commercial and Customer Experience, Robert Corbie would now oversee a newly merged workforce of 1,866 employees at CAL and Air Jamaica.

The Trinidad Express reported Warner as saying that Brunton, was dismissed following a disagreement between himself (Warner) and Nicholas, about the purchase of nine new aircraft valued at US$200 million from European manufacturer ATR.

Warner said Nicholas did not inform him of Brunton's dismissal and described this action as "disrespectful".

He said he has lodged a formal complaint against Nicholas with Persad-Bissessar who, in a brief telephone interview on the weekend, confirmed receipt of Warner's letter and said she would be meeting with the board and, with the advice of the AG, would make a statement on the matter.