VANESSA Kussie has rejected Paria Fuel Trading Company Ltd claims that it is being frustrated in its efforts to compensate the families of four divers who died at its Pointe-a-Pierre facility by the families' legal representatives.

Kussie is the widow of Rishi Nagassar, one of the four divers who died on February 25, 2022.

Nagassar, Kazim Ali Jr, Fyzal Kurban, Yusuf Henry and Christopher Boodram were sucked into a 30-inch underwater pipeline belonging to Paria, on which they were doing maintenance work.

Boodram is the only survivor.

In a statement on July 29, Paria claimed it wanted to compensate Boodram and the other four divers' families, but was being frustrated by their legal representatives and a contractor, LMCS (Land Marine Construction Services).

The divers worked for LMCS.

Kussie, now a UNC councillor at the Couva/Tabaquite/Talparo Regional Corporation, gave her response to Paria's statement via WhatsApp on July 30.

"Paria have never once called any of the immediate families over the phone or to speak with us one on one."

Kussie said the only people Paria appeared to be speaking with were the media. She added that the population reads untruths about the divers' families in the media.

Kussie had no problem with recent advertisements by Paria about engaging in activities which helped schoolchildren.

But she wondered why Paria had not contacted any of the families to find out how their children are coping with the deaths of their fathers.

Kussie called on Paria to come clean.

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