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Mystery man paid $11M to print GINA newspaper in NY
By Abena Rockcliffe
Sentiments expressed by new Director of the Government Information Agency (GINA), Beverley Alert give reason as to why her predecessor, Neaz Subhan refused to let out information relating to the financing of “The Guyanese”.
Former Information Liaison to the President, Kwame McCoy.
“The Guyanese” was a newspaper produced by GINA, but was printed and circulated in the United States of America.
Yesterday, Alert told Kaieteur News that she inherited GINA in serious debt. She pointed to the fact that the entity owes the Guyana Chronicle just about $70M and said that instead of incurring additional expenses, she decided to discontinue publication of the newspaper.
Alert said that there was a shortage of adequate checks and balances for the venture which has proved costly. That, she said, was another factor that influenced her decision to shut things down on that end.
Alert said that while records show the amount of money paid for the newspaper to be printed, there is no system to verify product for expenditure.
“There was nothing in place to show that you were paying X and got Y. As it is, we cannot do that sort of verification.”
Alert said that there is record to show that US$3,060 (G$612,000) was wired fortnightly – for a total of 18 editions – to an individual (name given) for the newspaper. The full amount was US$55,080 (G$11,016,000)
That individual is not attached to any entity. The Director explained that there is no GINA representative in New York who was conducting business for the agency. “The money was transferred to an individual, not a company or a consulate.”
This Alert found to be “quite strange”. She said that she viewed the procedure for the publication to be
Former GINA Director, Neaz Subhan
unofficial in this regard.
Alert said that even as the newspaper is cancelled, GINA still sees the need to keep the Diaspora informed, so the agency is looking to build its online presence.
The Director said that GINA is looking to build the database of persons subscribing and to expand its mailing list.
“We are becoming more aggressive on Facebook. It’s not where I want it to be, but it is a work in progress.”
She said that Subhan, in the handing over, gave her a list of the amount published and where it was to be distributed. She asserted, “That was given, but I was dissatisfied with the financial aspect of it, more needs to be proven.
Before elections, questions were raised about the money spent by GINA to produce the newspaper for circulation in New York, but the state-owned entity remained silent on the cost.
Instead, GINA set about to deflect the issue by accusing Kaieteur News of telling lies.
Leader of Alliance of Change (AFC), Khemraj Ramjattan, who is now also the Minister of Public Security, had raised questions about the publication of the fortnightly newspaper.
Ramjattan had condemned the fact that taxpayers were made to pay for a newspaper that carried nothing but praise for the People’s Progressive Party government.
He also raised questions over spending by GINA’s Head, Neaz Subhan, and former government official, Kwame McCoy.
Subhan had said that he would not speak to Kaieteur News about “The Guyanese” as it was an internal matter.”
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