Caribbean Airlines (CAL) has replaced Blue Waters bottled water with another local brand on its flights, days after the principal owners of Blue Waters were detained under Preventive Detention Orders (PDOs).
Multiple sources familiar with the matter confirmed that the state-owned airline made the decision last Wednesday, ending a supplier relationship that had reportedly lasted for more than 15 years.
The abrupt change created logistical challenges for cabin crews, according to airline sources. Since Blue Waters had been stocked across the airline’s network, staff were required to either remove labels from existing bottles before serving passengers or pour the water into cups while replacement supplies were being introduced.
The airline has since begun serving Dasani bottled water, which is produced locally by Caribbean Bottlers Trinidad & Tobago Ltd., a subsidiary of The Coca-Cola Company.
Sources indicated that the decision originated at the board level. The board is chaired by Reyna Kowlessar. Attempts to obtain comment from CAL on the reasons behind the switch were unsuccessful.
The procurement process surrounding the change has also raised questions. As a state-owned enterprise, CAL falls under the Office of Procurement Regulation framework, and procurement contracts are typically published on the airline’s website. However, as of Saturday, no tender notice or contract relating to the new bottled water supplier had been published.
Payment records reviewed by this publication indicate that bottled water represents a significant annual expense for the airline. Documents show CAL spent approximately TT$460,000 on bottled water during 2024, with invoices reflecting purchases of about TT$264,000 from Blue Waters.
Blue Waters, founded 27 years ago by Dominic Hadeed, has grown into one of Trinidad and Tobago’s leading bottled water brands and exports its products throughout the Caribbean, including Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, and Guyana.
The supplier change comes as Dominic Hadeed, his wife Genevieve Hadeed, and their relative Star Sabga remain in custody under Preventive Detention Orders. None has been formally charged.
Their detention forms part of an ongoing investigation by law enforcement authorities into an alleged conspiracy to murder Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar and several senior Cabinet ministers.
On Friday, the Hadeeds filed applications for judicial review and constitutional relief challenging their detention.
According to court filings, their legal team argues that the detentions are unlawful and contends that the couple has been unfairly targeted because of their ethnicity and an ongoing dispute with the Government over the termination of State land leases held by Blue Waters.
The filings also challenge the constitutional validity of the Government’s extension of the State of Emergency, alleging that it disproportionately affected members of the Syrian/Lebanese community and specifically targeted Dominic Hadeed.
The legal documents further claim that comments made by Attorney General John Jeremie during parliamentary debate on the State of Emergency were directed at Dominic Hadeed. The Hadeeds argue that the investigation intensified after Dominic Hadeed publicly criticised Government policy in March and following Cabinet’s decision in May to terminate State land leases involving Blue Waters.
“There is no and can be no evidence of any plot by the claimants to murder any person because there was no such plot. There is no basis for concluding that there was any evidence of any threat, real or perceived, against any public official,” the court filings state.
The couple’s attorneys also argue that Homeland Security Minister Roger Alexander failed to properly exercise his discretion when issuing the Preventive Detention Orders. They contend that insufficient consideration was given to factors including the Hadeeds’ business standing, lack of criminal records, family responsibilities, medical conditions, and the potential impact of the detention on their reputations and businesses.
The Government has not publicly responded to the constitutional claims. The investigation remains ongoing, and no criminal charges have been announced against the detained individuals.
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