Latest update November 5th, 2024 1:00 AM
I personally rescinded Mr Tiwarie’s appointment – President Granger
President David Granger says he personally rescinded the appointment of Brian Tiwarie as a Ministerial
President David Granger
Advisor, as the process was not blessed by the Government.
Speaking during a taped interview of his television programme, Public Interest, which is set to air this weekend, the President was clear that the administration may not have been in the loop when it came to Tiwarie’s appointment.
On Monday, Kaieteur News broke a story on the businessman’s appointment. The appointment was never officially announced.
According to a copy of the Instrument of Appointment, Minister of State Joseph Harmon, on January 19th 2016, appointed Tiwarie as Ministerial Advisor on Business Development.
The news immediately sparked condemnation, especially from supporters of the coalition Government. It quickly became viral online.
Tiwarie is one of the country’s biggest businessmen. He was awarded several major contracts, including parts of the East Bank Demerara four-lane extension, the West Coast Demerara road improvement project and a number of others.
He also clashed with Government over management of the Haags Bosch dumpsite, at Eccles, East Bank Demerara.
Shortly after the May 11th general elections, which the coalition Government won, Tiwarie started collaborating with the new administration in the Brickdam clean-up project.
The Ministerial Advisor appointment caught many by surprise, as Tiwarie was known to be close to the
Manager of BK International, Brian Tiwarie
previous administration.
During yesterday’s taping of the television programme, President Granger, when questioned, said that Tiwarie is not an appointee of the Government.
“He is not performing any functions and that is why the position is rescinded. He is not required to perform any business function.”
The President explained further. “We have a Minister of Business, and as far as I am concerned, the Minister is quite capable and competent, and he has not asked me for any assistance, and I personally rescinded Mr Tiwarie’s appointment.”
Granger was unable to say if Tiwarie accompanied Minister Harmon on a trip to China over the last few days.
Rather, the President said he is aware that Harmon went to China on Government business. That business had to do with the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company. The previous Government had sold its 20 percent stake in the US-owned telecoms company a few years ago to a Hong Kong investor called Datang Telecom.
Guyana is still owed some monies. Harmon’s trip was apparently to discuss the collection of those millions.
Accompanying Minister Harmon to China, officially, was an officer of the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited
“That is as much as I know. That is all I can say at this point in time. We don’t have an ongoing relation with Mr Tiwarie, and that is all I can say,” the President said in the interview.
Reports have indicated that Larry London, Chairman of the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority was also on the
Minister of State, Joseph Harmon
trip.
Also in China were two Chinese investors, Su Zhi Rong of Rong An Inc. and Chu Hongbo of BaiShanLin. Both companies are being investigated.
Questions were raised over the purpose of Harmon’s trip and whether the state paid for the other persons.
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