Dominic Notter, who represents a company that has a business relationship with green energy developer Langenburg Technologies, cleared Austworks Corp. on Tuesday from any involvement in the dishonesty accusation he has against Palawan Electric Cooperative (PALECO) board chairman Jeffrey Tan-Endriga.
In a recorded interview with Radyo Bandera Philippines “Kuskos Batikos” host Elgin Damasco, Notter of the Matrix of Life Technologies, LLC (MLT) said Austworks and any of its members did not make any accusation against Endriga.
“It was not any of the members of Austworks — the current members of Austworks — that made any accusation towards Jeffrey Tan. I hope that’ll explicitly clear this is my accusation, it was exactly what he (Endriga) said to us,” Notter said.
He pointed out that the conversation on March 1 in a meeting in Manila at Durban Hotel had nothing to do with Austworks and Greg Burton, who represents the waste-to-energy (W2E) project.
He said Burton was, in fact, a witness in the conversation between him and Endriga.
Notter said the misunderstanding about Austworks surfaced when a personal text was read by his fiancee, Donna Quixote, when she was interviewed on the same radio program on March 8.
“Two things. One, the conversation had nothing to do with Austworks as it exists at that time. There was a separate conversation after that conversation related to the 15-megawatt operation that we will do at the… (inaudible). It had nothing to do with Austworks as it is today. It will only have to do with Austworks if we buy the shareholding and then we become part of Austworks. So Greg had nothing to do with this. He was just a witness to what was happening with my conversation with Jeffrey Tan. The second thing is… I apologize to Greg and to whoever is necessary for allowing a personal text that was sent between him and my fiancee relaying exactly what the intent was happening, what was going on at that moment,” he said in the recorded interview.
He explained it was Quixote who was holding his mobile phone because she needed to interpret for him as he has a problem understanding the local language.
Notter said he was “uncomfortable” that it had to be Quixote who had to make the statement on his behalf, explaining he wanted to do it himself in English so it will be clear the way he understood it.
He added it was him who suggested that she reads the text message as it clearly shows what the other witnesses’ understanding was on the day of the meeting in Manila.
“It was only for clarification purposes that had nothing to do with Greg. I shouldn’t have done it, I didn’t realize… I was under the understanding that it was okay… and definitely, it’s not. My bad, I apologize. I have no intention whatsoever do anything wrong in this situation I just want her to be able to read something (inaudible)… what words were used or how they were said. I wanted it to be exactly how it was portrayed through the third party witness as what she was saying. That’s the only reason, I apologize using that text… It was a personal text from him (Burton) to her while our conversation was going on. But it quite clearly says what’s happening,” Notter pointed out.
Notter cleared Austworks from any participation in the accusation he made after Quixote was interviewed in Kuskos Batikos on March 8 alleging that Endriga was demanding a P.40 per kilowatt-hour “off the book” cut from a proposed renewable energy supply deal.
He stressed in the radio program recorded interview that Endriga had demanded an “under the table” P.40 share from the sale of the renewable energy they will produce.
“It is true, we were asked that. I am a manager for Matrix of Life Tech LLC. That is a company that has a business relationship with Max Langenburg from Langenburg Technologies LLC. We are coming here to help the Philippines to go 100 percent green, that is our goal. We were told that if we offer a rate for the power production underneath a subsidized rate, that we would not have to go through the Competitive Selection Process (CSP). This was told to us by Mr. Jeffrey Tan directly and it was confirmed in an earlier conversation again with all of us present at the meeting where this request was made,” he said.
He explained it transpired when they wanted to talk to Endriga after meeting with PALECO project manager and acting general manager Nelson Lalas, where he was told they could get the one year CSP exemption as long as their rate is under 6.50 pesos.
Notter said they offered P6.40 and then met with Endriga because he was not in the meeting.
To clarify the relationship with Austworks and Matrix of Life Tech, he said they made an offer to purchase a shareholding with the W2E proponent that failed and expired on February 27.
At that time of the meeting, he said he was technically just a potential business investor who was looking to purchase the shareholding of Austworks personally through different members and utilize its existing contracts, the MOUs (memorandum of understanding) with the City of Puerto Princesa and others.
However, he said whether its Austworks or his company, Endriga offered for PALECO to purchase their energy production at P6.40 and demanded to be paid P.40 and whoever is behind him “off the book.”
“I had no problem helping wherever I can as long as I can show it publicly and it’s legal. But I can’t be involved in anything that’s not. What he said was that it has to be off the books,” he said.
Notter said to him it appeared that the request would be something “under the table” or not part of the legal transaction which could directly affect him and his company.
Earlier, Endriga replied to this saying, it will be impossible for him to make a demand because the approval of the subsidized approved generation rate’s (SAGR) depends on the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC).
He said he does not know what Quixote had heard, but the P6.40 was only a sample base price he mentioned to Notter, who was proposing a wastewater-to-energy project.
“Sabi ko pa nga ‘yong P.10 i-allocate mo sa subsidy for electricity ng city government. Pangalawa, kako, the rest you could share it to your partners as incentives or parang paghahatian. ‘Yon ang ibig kong sabihin. Tinanong niya (Dominic) kung sino, sinagot ko just like Austworks or PALECO,” he said.
Endriga said he does not remember making the suggestion for any amount to be “off the book” because there is no way it could be hidden from the public and everyone involved, especially since all energy project documents need to pass through government agencies.
“Nagulat ako, iba-iba na ang version na pinalabas na iniipit ko raw ang Austworks para lang mangikil. Ha? Anong kinalaman ng Austworks? Ang pinag-uusapan namin ‘yong technology niya (Dominic) na wastewater-to-energy na hindi pa natin nakikita kung totoo o hindi. Kaya ang sabi ko sa kanya kung totoo man ‘yan, ipakita mo, doon tayo mag-usap. Paano ko siya kikikilan ay di pa nga niya napapakita… di bale sana kung diesel engine ‘yan o bunker… ay, naku. I don’t know kung anong motive nila. Sinisiraan nila ako. Okay pa sana kung sinabi nila na humingi ako ng isang milyon o one time big time. Pero ito? Paano naman ‘yon?” he said.
