Rohee becomes hostile when questioned on Marriott deal

May 28, 2014 News

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…after reading statement welcoming investors

General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Clement Rohee yesterday read a party statement in which he lauded the investors of the Marriott Hotel project.

Two Hong Kong businessmen, Victor How Chung Chan, and Xu Han, who own Ace Square Management Ltd, a company registered in the British Virgin Islands, has invested US$8 million in Atlantic Hotels Inc. (AHI) for 67 per cent of the company.
However, when questioned on the same subject matter, Rohee became hostile and later refused to comment further.
“I have moved on from there. I have a very important meeting at 10 o clock and this issue for the Kaieteur News is not going to go away. You are going to keep it on the frontburner.  I know that.”
Rohee said that the PPP “notes the recent release of information on the investors in the Marriott project and welcomes this release as timely and reflective of the Government’s commitment to being transparent.”
He added that the release of the investor details follows on numerous prior releases made by the Government, including releases by the Minister of Finance since 2012 that included the construction contract, tax agreements and lease agreements.
Rohee said that this was followed with AHI “releasing additional information including major sections of the Feasibility Study produced by internationally recognized HVS International that detailed the total investment and the sources along with the financial returns.”
However, there is no record that the study was ever made public. Rohee was certain that the study was made a public document.
Indeed, the Government had responded to various parliamentary questions and had participated in various debates (both in Parliament and publicly) on the project, Rohee said.
According to Rohee, the Marriott project is one of Guyana’s “transformational projects” which he said, has received

support from many quarters including the Private Sector Commission (PSC) and the Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana (THAG).
He said that the project has only been deemed controversial by a few parties opposed to the project.
He identified these as A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), the Alliance for Change (AFC), the owner of the Pegasus Hotel, the Trades Union Congress and media outfits which in his estimation are aligned to the opposition.
He was directed to objection to the project voiced by the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry. His immediate reaction was that the body “could say what it liked”.
“The controversy is political and politically manufactured by the opposition, precisely because like all other projects started under the Jagdeo administration, it is deemed as deeply suspicious,” said Rohee.
According to Rohee, the PPP also welcomes “the announcement by Republic Bank that the US$27M in debt financing for the project has been syndicated and close to completion.
“The PPP also welcomes the announcement that an affiliated company of the majority investor will be providing additional financing for the outfitting of the entertainment complex (at least US$4M) and will be operating the entertainment complex and guaranteeing to AHI, returns projected in the HVS Feasibility Study.”
He said that the quality of the new investors operating out of the British Virgin Islands is reflected in their “substantial participation in a number of companies traded on the main board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, with one being valued at US$1B.
“It will be noted, that apart from the listed companies, the investors also have other substantial investments that are not listed.”
Rohee said that the investors have been approved by Republic Bank and by Marriott following due diligence.

When questioned about the apparent insistence of confidentiality and secrecy shrouding the investors, Rohee said, “I want to disagree fully with the view this project has been shrouded in secrecy and confidentiality when it is not so. Information has been provided in the media; information has been provided in Parliament; information has been distributed in a widespread manner and so the question of confidentiality and secrecy as far as the PPP is concerned is a non issue.”
“The major players in the project, particularly the government, the private sector and the tourism association of Guyana have welcomed it, and these are in my view the key stakeholders. They have not raised one iota that indicates controversy.”
When questioned further why the investors took so long to be named when since in 2013 AHI Chairman Winston Brassington had said the private investors were to be named, Rohee responded, “When people sit down to invest in something they obviously devise a plan on how they would go about it. This is these people’s money; not Kaieteur News’ money. When Kaieteur News decided to establish a sweetie factory nobody knew before that they were going to establish that. Did they reveal the information long ago?”
When Rohee (who is also the Home Affairs Minister) was told that he knew of the information because the company had applied to him (Rohee) to get an Indian engineer to be granted a visa to come to Guyana, he responded, “I totally reject that; I say it’s a confounded lie. I know nothing about that.  I don’t know where that is coming from. I think it is all meant to undermine the Ministry of Home Affairs.”
He said further, “Let them produce the rejection letter. I want the rejection letter to be produced and published in the Kaieteur News, do that.”
When pressed concerning questions of transparency and the validity of his pronouncements on the Marriott in the face of the reporter’s perceptions being otherwise, Rohee said, “It seems to me the whole question of transparency is taking on a political overture here.
“The whole objective behind questions pertaining to transparency in this country is mainly aimed at embarrassing the government.”

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