MYSTERY MAN IN DRAGON GAS DEAL

A MYSTERY man is a big operative in a secret company formed by the Rowley Government to manage the Dragon Gas deal.

His name is Joseph Khan, and no one knows him in the energy sector.

Khan is one of only two directors of NGC Exploration and Production Ltd., which will handle Trinidad and Tobago’s interests in the billion-dollar natural gas operations with Venezuela.

The other director is Mark Loquan, who is currently Chief Executive Officer of National Gas Company (NGC).

Loquan has announced that he will retire from NGC at the end of his current employment contract in August.

He has not revealed his links to the new company.

The Government has declined to inform the country of the new organisation.

Government officials have claimed that the matter is confidential.

When the Opposition brought a motion in the Senate seeking disclosure on the Dragon Gas deal, Energy Minister Stuart Young said the Government could not do so.

But last week, Venezuela’s Nicholas Maduro administration published the entire contract in the country’s official gazette.

The 30-year agreement states that Venezuela will receive 45 per cent of gross profits.

The exploration of the 4.2 trillion cubic feet of gas is currently at risk in light of the decision by the US Joe Biden Government to re-implement economic sanctions against Venezuela.

The sanctions have been prompted by the decision of Venezuela’s Supreme Court to block main presidential candidate Maria Corina Machado from contesting this year’s election.