Latest update February 6th, 2025 7:27 AM
Carvil Duncan trial… GPL Board member unaware of entitlement to retroactive payment – Former PM says this was introduced in 2015
CHARGED: Carvil Duncan
GEA Head, Mahendra Sharma
Although he has been a member of the Board of Directors of the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) since 2011, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Guyana Energy Agency (GEA), Mahender Sharma, says that he has no knowledge of being entitled to retroactive payment as a member.
He made this disclosure yesterday, in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts’ when he was called to testify on behalf of the prosecution in the trial of former Director of GPL, Carvil Duncan, who is accused of conspiring with another to steal over $27M from the company. He is also accused of stealing $984,900 from the company.
The trial commenced before Magistrate Leron Daly in Court Two, yesterday.
Under cross examination by Duncan’s Attorney, Charles Ramson Jr., the witness said that there is a possibility that Cabinet could have made the fees retroactive, but he was unaware if such was done. Sharma added that it is also possible that he might be eligible for retroactive fees and has not obtained any.
According to the CEO, the board of directors of GPL was independent when it came to making decisions on the company’s affairs. Sharma who is also a member of GEA Board of Directors said that he knew a decision was made by cabinet which sought to establish board fees for boards across the country, including GPL.
Former Prime Minster Samuel Hinds who had oversight for the affairs of GPL during his time in office was not a member of the Board of Directors, Sharma said. He explained that if there were any disputes in decision among members of the board it would be resolved by a voting process.
However, Samuel Hinds testified that cabinet had made a decision to have fees for board members retroactive when they were given a pay hike in 2015.
While being guided by Police Prosecutor, Bharat Mangru, Hinds said that GPL was governed by a board of director and that its governance provided it with much autonomy. He also said that the chairman of the board would report to him on issues related to the power company. Carvil Duncan, whom he said he knew personally, was a member of that board of directors.
Also testifying was Komal Ramnauth, another board member.
This trial has been adjourned to July 19.
Duncan, who is the President of the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG) and the GPL’s Former Deputy CEO, Aeshwar Deonarine, were jointly charged with conspiring with each other to steal the monies from GPL on separate occasions
However, Deonarine’s name was dropped from the charges against Duncan after the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) withdrew the charges against him because he has fled the country.
This was done so that the court could proceed with Duncan’s trial.
Police have since issued a warrant for Deonarine’s arrest. It was previously reported that he was in Canada.
Duncan, 73-year-old of Lot 1977 Lanstead Road, Festival City, Georgetown, is accused of conspiring with another to commit a felony that is to say simple larceny.
It is alleged that between May 7 and May 8, 2015 at Georgetown, Duncan conspired with another to steal the sum of $27,757,500, property of GPL.
It was also alleged that on March 31, 2015 Duncan stole $984, 900 belonging to GPL.
Duncan, who is the President of the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG) and General Secretary of the Guyana Labour Union (GTU), pleaded not guilty to the allegations.
He is currently out on $1M bail.
The two former senior officials are accused of being part of a multi-million-dollar fraud at GPL. The men are alleged to have illegally transferred close to $30M to their personal bank accounts from GPL.
The Government had asked the police to investigate the two senior officials last July. It was reported that the men paid themselves almost $29M without authorization.
In light of investigations, Deonarine was sent on administrative leave.
The discoveries of the suspicious transfers were made by independent auditors who were probing the PetroCaribe Fund, which hold proceeds of oil shipments taken from neighbouring Venezuela.
It was while tracking payments to GPL that auditors unearthed the strange transactions. Deonarine, who had been the DCEO responsible for administration had reportedly wanted to receive the same level of pay as the then DCEO (Technical), Colin Welch, but his approaches to the Board of Directors were rebuffed.
He had reportedly offered to repay the money but GPL was supposed to have waited until it was transferred from his US bank account.
Similar Articles
THE BLUNT OF THE DAY
Sports
Features/Columnists
Land, taxes and penalties
Peeping Tom… Kaieteur News-The American humorist Will Rogers once remarked that the best investment on earth is earth... more
OAS Secretary General Election and renewed OAS Consensus
Antiguan Barbudan Ambassador to the United States, Sir Ronald Sanders By Sir Ronald Sanders Kaieteur News- The upcoming election... more
Weekend Cartoon
