in Houston, Texas

(Continued from page 2)

Part of Abashawl's job is dealing with groups like Greater Stavanger Economic Development. In fact, city records suggest that part of her job is dealing with Stavanger economic development officials.

When Abashawl filed papers in 2006 to estimate the costs of an upcoming trip to Stavanger, she listed meeting with Stavanger city officials and economic development officers as one of the purposes of her trip: Under "topics to be discussed/business to be transacted," she listed "Meeting with City of Stavanger Officials and & Economic Development Officers." She also listed attending the Offshore Northern Seas conference that year, corporate visits and networking events. Her trip cost the city $4,862.26, including airfare, meals and lodging.


(At left: Houston Airport System executive Saba Abashawl listed meeting with Stavanger city officials and economic development officials as a reason for the city of Houston to pay for her trip there in 2006. Click here to see the entire document.)

City records show that Birger Haraldseid, described as Greater Stavanger's opportunity manager, was among the officials for whom Abashawl bought dinner in Stavanger on Aug. 23, 2006. Pope was also at the dinner; the total cost to the city of the dinner for Haraldseid, Pope and two officials from Abderdeen, Scotland, was $200.30 -- they forewent Norwegian fare and instead ate at an Italian restaurant, Ristorante Allegro at 37 Skagen, where a picture currently hangs on the wall of a tuxedoed Marlon Brando in The Godfather.



Michel told Texas Watchdog in an e-mail that "Ms. Abashawl's work for Stavanger does not include acting as a go-between to the city of Houston. The bulk of her work is among various institutions in Stavanger and hospitals, universities and private businesses here in Houston." He added that when asked by the city about such a statement, Brekke said in an e-mail and over the phone, "that (Brekke) did not hire Ms. Abashawl for her connection to the city of Houston."

Brekke told Texas Watchdog that Abashawl's employment with the Stavanger group was openly known by and approved by her employers in Houston.

City records show Abashawl was paid $86,290 in calendar year 2008. The city of Houston was forced to release a list of airport workers' salaries to Texas Watchdog a few months ago after the Texas attorney general's office said the city could not keep the information confidential out of homeland security concerns.

City of Houston employees who want to work second jobs must get written approval from their department heads, and Abashawl had been granted permission in 2007 -- signed by her then-boss, city aviation chief Richard Vacar, to work for her own firm, called Absam, according to records released by the airport system to Texas Watchdog under the state public records law. The city allows its employees to have outside jobs, although it is "not encouraged," according to policy passed in 1985.

Abashawl said on her approval form that she worked Saturdays, Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays for Absam in the evening.

"When my client has a project, I determine whether it is a matter I can perform or if I need to hire a sub-contractor to complete the work," Abashawl wrote to Texas Watchdog. "My work hours for my company varies widely from week to week; and it changes based on the workload of my client. If the assignment requires travel, then I use my vacation time or I work on paid city holidays, weekends and evenings. It is very common for me to employ outside help for my business so that I put the needs of Houston Airports first."

The type of business performed by Absam is not described on the form approving Abashawl's outside employment -- indeed, there is no mention of Stavanger or Norway. According to spokeswoman Roxanne Butler, the Houston Airport System "does not require any other disclosures, such as identifying clients." The required form signed by Abashawl and Vacar, though, has been revamped since 2007 and is slightly different in a nod to transparency: The current form has the employee note his or her duties in the extra job.

In a telephone interview, Vacar, who stepped down from his city post in May, said that he signed "hundreds" of such forms over the years, mostly for lower-level workers who needed to take second or third jobs to make ends meet.

"I didn't give them the third degree when they presented the form to sign," Vacar said. "They know the rules, and there is an executive order addressing (possible) conflict of interest. I did turn down a lot of people because I felt a job would present that conflict."

In the case of Abashawl, she was "free to pursue those activities in the second job during time off, vacation, etc.," Vacar said in an e-mail. "I have never had a problem with her performing her primary duties. Indeed, her primary duties went well beyond the 40-hour workweek since much evening, weekend and travel work was involved."

Greater Stavanger did not take pains to hide Abashawl's employment. She's listed by name on the Greater Stavanger Web site as the head of the Houston office. When Texas Watchdog sent an e-mail to the Houston office earlier this year, Abashawl responded by e-mail, writing that she worked out of her home.

Brekke also told Texas Watchdog that Greater Stavanger has always paid for Abashawl's trips to Stavanger and hotel, meals and the like while she was there on Stavanger business. While the city did pick up the tab for Abashawl's 2006 and 2008 trips there for Offshore Northern Seas, her calendar makes reference to a handful of other visits she has made to Stavanger in the past two years that do not appear to have been billed to the city of Houston.

Continued on ...
Page 4: Executive has many high-level contacts in oil industry

Previous pages: 1 / 2

[ad#ad1forposts]