A SENIOR government official has been linked to a south Trinidad-based petroleum services company in the energy sector.

According to a reliable source in the energy industry, the top official of the People’s National Movement (PNM) is “milking” the petroleum services company, with millions of dollars being paid as a finder’s fee for ensuring contracts with certain large oil companies.

“Everybody knows that the petroleum services company is owned by ‘Mr. Big’, the big shot in the PNM,” the insider stated.

“The people who are listed as owners of the company are just puppets for the real player behind the scenes.

“This petroleum services company started off as a ‘two-dollar’ company in the energy sector, but with the helping hands of ‘Mr. Big’, major contracts started to flow in.

“The company does everything on the oil rig, from maintenance to cooking all the food in the kitchen.

“The top PNM official has lots of friends in the energy sector because he used to work in the Ministry of Energy at one point, and he uses his political influence to make sure the right companies are in the loop.

“The man paints himself as being righteous, but he is in the thick of things, wheeling and dealing in the energy sector.

“He has also assisted in helping some of his closest friends in the PNM set up service-based companies, so those friends can also cash in on the business of off-shore oil rig management, one of the most lucrative aspects of the energy sector.”

A highly-paid consultant in the energy sector has reportedly set up a company to take advantage of “the connection”.

One former employee of the San Fernando petroleum services company said it was common knowledge that ‘Mr.Big’ in the energy industry was the real financial controller and that the company’s directors were just ‘a front’ for the PNM honcho, who likes to hide behind a “spiritual” façade.

The former employee also said the company practices racial discrimination with respect to employment practices, insisting Indo-Trinidadians are not being favoured for jobs.

“It have Indians in management but they don’t want to hire Indians because the jobs are for people with PNM connections,” the former employee stated.

“I worked there for a while and although I did my job properly, I was replaced in favour of ‘a brother’, and since then I am seeing hell to get back my job.

“It is real injustice.”

One senior official of the petroleum services company is reportedly living life on the edge now that the company is “seeing the big times”, and a lot of money is being spent to maintain the manager’s drug habit and penchant for luxury cars.

The disheartened petroleum services employee said he is so frustrated by recent events, he, as a resident of the San Fernando East constituency, intends to write to Prime Minister Patrick Manning to see if the PM can render assistance with any future employment.