Minister Padarath Refutes Claims of Birthday Bash Disrupting Air Travel

Public Utilities Minister, Barry Padarath, has dismissed allegations that he held a birthday party in Tobago, causing inconvenience to travelers on Caribbean Airlines. The claims on social media suggested that confirmed passengers were displaced to make room for his guests. Padarath labelled these allegations as an outright fabrication. The rumor started after a picture surfaced on social media showing Padarath attending the Heritage Festival on his birthday, July 19. Claims were made that the minister’s celebration led to passengers being removed from their flights to accommodate his guests. Caribbean Airlines also countered these allegations, stating that no passengers with confirmed bookings were displaced for any government officials. It was also noted that there were 182 unused seats on the airbridge on the alleged day of the incident. Padarath did not comment on Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s recent directive for ministers to abstain from partying during the State of Emergency.