THE High Court has awarded more than $10 million in combined damages, interest, and vindicatory awards to brothers Prakash and Adesh Maharaj after ruling that the Ministry of Energy and Energy Affairs unlawfully suspended their de facto retail marketing licences in 2012, forcing the shutdown of their service stations and denying them access to their properties.

Master Wrenerson Lochan concluded two related assessments of damages that followed a series of court challenges dating back to 2013.

In May 2020, the Privy Council overturned a majority decision of the Court of Appeal, which had set aside an order of Justice Carol Gobin. Gobin found that the Minister of Energy went beyond his powers when he ordered the two gas stations, owned by the brothers, to be shut down. Adesh Maharaj took over the King’s Wharf station from his father, in whose name the licence was assigned.