Pandemic Darlings The pandemic economy, in original documents
Home Court filings Sigpr Reports Addendum — Alert Memorandum: Caribbean Sun Airlines Non-Compliance (SIGPR-A-21-002)

Court filing

Addendum — Alert Memorandum: Caribbean Sun Airlines Non-Compliance (SIGPR-A-21-002)

Record facts

CourtSpecial Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery
Filed2021-09-21

Summary

An addendum dated September 21, 2021 from the Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery to its Alert Memorandum on Caribbean Sun Airlines, Inc., Report Number SIGPR-A-21-002. The addendum states that SIGPR received Caribbean Sun's response on September 13, 2021, and that Treasury responded on September 17, 2021 that the company, while late, had complied with the Notice of Non-Compliance; SIGPR finds Treasury's reply acceptable. Enclosure 1 is the September 8, 2021 alert memorandum from the Assistant Inspector General for Auditing to Treasury's Chief Recovery Officer. That memorandum reports a $6,768,749 loan made on December 7, 2020 under Section 4003 of the CARES Act, recounts a survey issued March 25, 2021 and a Treasury notice of August 3, 2021, and recommends Treasury act under Section 7.01 of the Agreement.

Summary drafted by a model from the document's text below and checked by script against that text before publication. It is a navigation aid, not a reading of what the document proves. Where AI is used

Full text

SIGPR-A-21-002 
 
 
 
 
 
 
September 21, 2021 
 
Addendum to Alert Memorandum: Caribbean Sun Airlines, Inc. has not Responded to the 
Department of the Treasury’s Notice of Non-Compliance with the US Treasury Aviation Loan 
and Guarantee Agreement (Report Number: SIGPR-A-21-002) 
 
On September 8, 2021, we issued Alert Memorandum: Caribbean Sun Airlines, Inc. has not 
Responded to the Department of the Treasury’s Notice of Non-Compliance with the US 
Treasury Aviation Loan and Guarantee Agreement (Enclosure 1). The alert memorandum 
discussed that Caribbean Sun Airlines, Inc. (Caribbean Sun) had not complied with the 
Department of the Treasury’s (Treasury) Notice of Non-Compliance.  
 
The alert memorandum recommended Treasury take immediate action, under the authority 
provided for in §7.01 – Events of Default of the Loan and Guarantee Agreement. The Events 
of Default clause allowed Treasury to declare the loan to be due and payable in whole or in 
part. 
 
On September 13, 2021, we received a copy of Caribbean Sun’s response which was 
provided to Treasury’s Program Manager for Aviation Loans and forwarded to us. On 
September 17, 2021, Treasury provided its response stating that it expects all borrowers to 
be fully compliant with their obligations under their loan agreements and although Caribbean 
Sun, while doing so late, did comply with the Non-Compliance Notification and submitted its 
survey response to SIGPR (Enclosure 2). 
 
We appreciate Treasury’s assistance in obtaining Caribbean Sun’s response to our survey 
and the timely response and find Treasury’s reply acceptable. 

SIGPR-A-21-002 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
ENCLOSURE 1 

SIGPR-A-21-002 
   
 
 
 
 
Alert Memorandum: 
Caribbean Sun Airlines, Inc. has not  
Responded to the Department of the  
Treasury’s Notice of Non-Compliance 
with the US Treasury Aviation Loan and 
Guarantee Agreement 
 
Report Number: SIGPR-A-21-002 
September 8, 2021 
 
 

 
SIGPR-A-21-002 
1 
  
September 8, 2021 
 
 
TO: 
Jacob D. Leibenluft 
Chief Recovery Officer 
U.S. Department of the Treasury 
 
FROM: 
Theodore R. Stehney 
Assistant Inspector General for Auditing 
Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery (SIGPR) 
 
SUBJECT: 
Alert Memorandum: Caribbean Sun Airlines, Inc. has not 
Responded to the Department of the Treasury’s Notice of Non-
Compliance with the US Treasury Aviation Loan and Guarantee 
Agreement 
Report Number: SIGPR-A-21-002 
 
The purpose of this memorandum is to notify you that Caribbean Sun Airlines, Inc. 
(Caribbean Sun) has not responded to the Department of the Treasury’s (“Treasury”) 
Notice of Non-compliance with US Treasury Aviation Loan and Guarantee Agreement 
(the Agreement).  We recommend Treasury take immediate action to address this non-
compliance.  
 
Background 
 
Section 4003, Division A, Title IV, Subtitle A of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and 
Economic Security Act of 2020 (the “CARES Act”) authorizes the Treasury to make 
loans, loan guarantees, and other investments to provide liquidity to eligible businesses 
related to losses incurred as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. Sections 4003(b)(1)-
(3) appropriated $46 billion to help stabilize the airline industry and businesses critical to 
maintaining national security. SIGPR is tasked to provide oversight of CARES Act 
programs.  
 
On December 7, 2020, Caribbean Sun obtained a loan from the Treasury under Section 
4003 for $6,768,749. Pertinent provisions of Caribbean Sun’s Loan and Guarantee 
Agreement (“Agreement”) state: 
 
Treasury Access. The Borrower Eligible Business and its Affiliates will provide 
Treasury, the Treasury Inspector General, the Special Inspector General for 
Pandemic Recovery, and such other entities as authorized by Treasury timely 
and unrestricted access to all documents, papers, or other records, including 
electronic records, of the Borrower related to the Loans, to enable Treasury, the 
Treasury Inspector General, and the Special Inspector General for Pandemic 
Recovery to make audits, examinations, and otherwise evaluate the Borrower’s 
compliance with the terms of this Agreement. This right also includes timely and 

 
SIGPR-A-21-002 
2 
  
reasonable access to the Borrower’s and its Affiliates’ personnel for the 
purpose of interview and discussion related to such documents. 
Agreement, Section 10.07. 
 
Events of Default. If any of the following events (each, an “Event of Default”) shall 
occur:  
(e) any Credit Party shall fail to observe or perform any covenant, condition or 
agreement contained in this Agreement or any other Loan Document . . . and such 
failure shall continue unremedied for a period of thirty (30) or more days after notice 
thereof by the Administrative Agent or the Initial Lender to the Parent . . . then, and 
in every such event…and at any time thereafter during the continuance of such 
event, the Initial Lender may, and the Administrative Agent may, and at the request 
of the Required Lenders or the Initial Lender shall, by notice to the Borrower, take 
any or all of the following actions, at the same or different times: 
(i) declare the Loans then outstanding to be due and payable in whole (or in 
part, in which case any principal not so declared to be due and payable may 
thereafter be declared to be due and payable), and thereupon the principal of 
the Loans so declared to be due and payable, together with accrued interest 
thereon and all fees and other Obligations of the Credit Parties accrued 
hereunder, shall become due and payable immediately, without 
presentment, demand, protest or other notice of any kind, all of which are 
hereby waived by the Borrower and the other Credit Parties…. 
Agreement, Section 7.01. 
Specific Concern  
 
On March 25, 2021, we issued a survey to Caribbean Sun but did not receive a 
response.  On August 2, 2021, we issued an Alert Memorandum, notifying Treasury that 
Caribbean Sun was non-responsive.  On August 3, 2021, Treasury issued a Notice of 
Non-compliance, requiring Caribbean Sun to respond to our survey within 30 days. 
(Appendix B).   
 
Pursuant to Treasury’s Notice of Non-compliance, issued on August 3, 2021, Caribbean 
Sun had until September 2, 2021, to respond to SIGPR’s survey. As stated in 
Treasury’s notice of non-compliance, failure to respond to SIGPR’s survey by 
September 2, 2021, would constitute an “Event of Default” under Section 7.01(d) of the 
Agreement. An event of default would allow Treasury to pursue remedies under the 
Agreement, including declaring the loan immediately due and payable in whole or in 
part. As of the date of this report, Caribbean Sun has not responded to SIGPR’s survey 
nor has it satisfied the loan.    
 
Conclusion 
 
Caribbean Sun’s lack of response to Treasury’s Notice of Non-compliance with the US 

 
SIGPR-A-21-002 
3 
  
Treasury Aviation Loan and Guarantee Agreement constitutes an “Event of Default” 
under Section 7.01(e).  
 
Recommendation 
 
The Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery recommends that Treasury take 
immediate action under the authority provided in Section 7.01 of the Agreement.  
 
Please provide a response to this recommendation along with any proposed corrective 
action. Your response will be incorporated in its entirety as an addendum to this 
memorandum. 
 
Compliance Statement 
 
This audit is being conducted in accordance with generally accepted government 
auditing standards (GAGAS) which provides that during an audit, auditors may provide 
interim reports of significant matters to appropriate entity and oversight officials. Such 
communications alert officials to matters needing immediate attention and allows them 
to take corrective action before the final report is completed.  
 
The related ongoing audit, when completed, will comply with GAGAS. The associated 
performance audit report that will be issued in the future will incorporate the issues 
discussed in this alert memorandum. 
 
Audit Team 
 
This audit was managed and conducted by the individuals listed below: 
 
 
Michael Sinclair 
Audit Manager 
Reynaldo Gonzales 
Auditor-In-Charge 
Renata Malionek 
Auditor 
 
 

 
SIGPR-A-21-002 
A-1 
 
 
Appendix A – Memorandum Distribution 
 
Chief Recovery Officer – U.S. Department of the Treasury 
 
Office of General Counsel – U.S. Department of the Treasury 
 
Inspector General – Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery 
 
Office of General Counsel – Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery 
 
 
 
 
 

 
SIGPR-A-21-002 
 
 
Appendix B – Notice of Non-Compliance with the US 
Treasury Aviation Loan and Guarantee Agreement 
 
 

 
SIGPR-A-21-002 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
ENCLOSURE 2 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
SIGPR-A-21-002

File and source

File
REPORT_SIGPR_alert-memorandum-caribbean-sun-airlines-inc-has-not-responde_2021-09-21.pdf
Size
657,613 bytes
SHA-256
77869b19059218223b31be76b571516a854a62a88553e5760442bb64dad7079c
Our copy
REPORT_SIGPR_alert-memorandum-caribbean-sun-airlines-inc-has-not-responde_2021-09-21.pdf
Original
www.oversight.gov
Back to top