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Is this not a clear case of conflict of interest?

Jan 14, 2013 Letters

 

Dear Editor,
Sham Nokta is the Managing Director of Environmental Management Consultants (EMC) and at the same time is having top-level access to the Office of the President as the Presidential Advisor on Climate Change to President Ramotar.  Mr. Nokta, as head of EMC, a private company, tenders for Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA), Environmental Audits etc that require approval from the Ramotar administration, the same administration to which he has high-level access.
This state of affairs has been going on for years and yet the majority opposition over the last 12 months has not find cause to call for an investigation into all these conflict of interest relationships that were encourage under the Jagdeo regime over the years.
Mr. Nokta is the son of a senior member of the PPP Leadership, finds himself in the untenable position of doing professional work for review by the Ramotar administration to which he is a senior member.  This is tantamount to reviewing oneself and calling it independent, similar to the wife of the Minister of Finance being the Audit Manager for the book for which he is responsible.
Why all these controversy in the Ramotar administration?
This means Mr. Nokta has access to the confidential state documents and access to state officials which other bidders for EIAs do not have and thus places his company EMC at an unfair advantage.
I, by way of this letter to the press am formally asking for a response from not only Mr. Nokta, but HE the President, Mr. Ramjattan and Mr. Granger since this certainly looks like a conflict of interest.
Clearly you cannot be half in and half out of government. I am sure when he thinks about it Shayam Nokta will realise it is quite inappropriate to carry on in this paid State job, when he is in charge of a private company that seeks approval of its work from this same State.
Christopher Samuels

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