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Probe into improper pre-2015 financial arrangements at E-Gov. Unit ongoing – Minister Hughes
Even though there has been no word on the status of the two-year-old investigation into the improper financial arrangements that existed pre-2015 at the E-Governance Unit, the coalition administration is adamant that justice
Minister of Public Telecommunications, Cathy Hughes
will be had.
This is according to Minister of Public Telecommunications, Cathy Hughes. The Parliamentarian assured that the case is still ongoing.
Minister Hughes even noted that only a few weeks ago, there were three officials from the E-Governance Unit who were questioned by officers attached to the Special Organized Crime Unit (SOCU).
She said, too, that the SOCU officials took the opportunity to visit and observe the atrocious state of the Linden to Georgetown Fibre Optic Cable which cost the nation $1.3B and is beyond repair.
To facilitate the investigation, the government had sent former head of the E-Governance initiative, Alexei Ramotar on administrative leave. This move was to ensure proper facilitation of investigations.
The E-Government Project consists of a Data Centre, a transmission network and the data network. The Data Centre, or control centre, is being housed in the compound of Castellani House, in the same building that is used for the Central Intelligence Agency.
The Transmission Network stretches from Moleson Creek on the Corentyne Coast to Charity on the Essequibo Coast. The cable runs from Lethem in the Rupununi through Linden to Georgetown.
The E-Governance project which was headed by the former President’s son includes not only the fibre optic element but is part of a US$32M, three-component initiative to connect Government facilities along the Linden-Lethem road and the coastland, with internet access.
Contractors, because of the difficult terrain along the Linden-Lethem trail and technical issues with the integrity of the cable, ran into all sorts of problems with the cable from Brazil.
The fibre optic cable project was intended to bring cheaper internet service to Guyana’s shores from the neighbouring Portuguese-speaking territory.
But after some years, the cable project collapsed and under pressure from the media, the previous administration admitted that the cable was in a poor state even though more than $1B had been spent on the component already.
While Government was told by Ramotar that the cable was now too expensive to repair and that it should cut its losses, the former administration which his father led, awarded a handsome contract to a local firm to repair it.
Before the PPP/C lost the May 11, 2015 elections, former Cabinet Secretary, Dr. Roger Luncheon had announced that Dax Contracting Services owned by Faisal Mohamed, was awarded a contract to rehabilitate the cable.
The agreement stated that Dax would undertake to repair and maintain the fibre optic cable from Brazil. But the many concessions in the project which were deemed as being highly unreasonable, are currently tied up at the Ministry of Finance.
Dax Contracting Services proprietor had told Kaieteur News that he was eager to meet the new administration and speak with them on the works needed to be done on the Brazil to Guyana fibre optic cable. He sought to set the record straight that even though he was given what appeared to be a “sweetheart contract”, he has been unable to access the concessions.
Mohamed said, “It is tied up at the Finance Ministry.”
The Contractor said that as a result of this, he was forced to dip into his own pockets to complete at least quarter of the works at a cost of millions of dollars.
His contract was nonetheless terminated by the current administration.
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