Park Hotel fire CLICO executive baffled at police silence on gasoline finding Stabroek News February 26, 2001 Dennis Moore, chief executive of CLICO Life and General Insurance Company says that his firm is wondering why the police have not yet made a pronouncement on the finding that there was gasoline in two of six debris samples tested from the Park Hotel fire. "For the life of me I do not know why they are not saying anything to us. We need to have some sort of conclusion from the police to satisfy our conscience on this issue," Moore said last week. He said he intends to write the police on the issue. The police had earlier indicated in a letter to the Kissoon Group of Companies which owned the Park Hotel, most of which was damaged in a May 6th fire last year, that they found no evidence of criminality in their investigations. However, four of the co-insurers of the building, CLICO, Hand in Hand, North American Fire Insurance Company and the Guyana Cooperative Insurance Service have refused to pay the $208M outstanding on the claim by the Kissoon family. They have done so on grounds that they need to be satisfied that the claim was a genuine one. Since then, the debris samples were sent for testing in the Cayman Island and two of the six samples came back with the finding that there were traces of gasoline in them. CLICO has since said that it stands ready to pronounce on the Park Hotel fire claim once all the processes are completed by the Guyana Police and Fire Services. But Crime Chief, Floyd McDonald on more than one occasion has refused to speak to Stabroek News on the issue. The Kissoon Group has sued the four insurance companies who have not settled the group policy claim for the outstanding sum of $208 million as well as for another $100 million in pecuniary damages and compensation. It is also seeking additional damages in a second writ accusing the four co-insurers of a conspiracy. However, Hand in Hand has counter-filed to date challenging the claim of the Kissoon Group and asserting that the claim could not be honoured as the terms of the policy were breached. Most of the Park Hotel, insured for $420 million, was razed in a fire on May 6 but a settlement with an international adjuster arrived at a $367 million pay out. However, only GTM Fire, Demerara Mutual Fire Insurance Company and the Caribbean Home Insurance Company Limited have paid off their obligations to the Kissoon group. It is not clear what effect the gasoline find will have on the outstanding payments by the co-insurers. Arson was not ruled out by investigators but the international adjuster had noted that to lay blame for an accelerant found in the debris, the walls of the structure should not be breached. However, in the case of the Park Hotel fire, walls were breached. Follow the goings-on in Guyana in Guyana Today If you do not see the 'Guyana: Land of Six Peoples' drop-down menu on the left then please click here to enter through the front door which will give you additional options and information.