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GEA grants fuel import licence to GWI’s Boss, others
GWI’s CEO, Richard Van West Charles
An overhead shot of the Kingston offices of Atlantic Fuel Inc.
A senior Government executive whose name has surfaced as benefitting from a 10-year oil importation licence has defended it saying, that nothing is wrong.
Dr. Richard Van West Charles, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Guyana Water Inc. (GWI), made it clear that the licence was issued to a company which he has been part of prior to the coalition Government entering office in May last year.
The application for the licence was made in February 2015 by Atlantic Fuels Inc., he stressed yesterday. The licence was issued on November 5th, 2015 and signed by the head of the Guyana Energy Agency, Dr. Mahender Sharma.
The CEO happens to be a Director on the company along with Andron Alphonso, Ronaldo Alphonso and Lear Goring.
The Alphonsos are said to be close relations to prominent businessman and miner, Alfro Alphonso.
“As a private citizen I’m allowed to do business,” the GWI’s chief said yesterday.
Questioned whether the granting of the licence and the fact that he is the head of GWI does not place him in a peculiar situation, Van West Charles made it clear that it does not constitute a conflict of interest.
He pointed out that he does not supply fuel to GWI or any GWI-affiliated entity.
A copy of the GEA licence granted to Atlantic Fuels Inc.
The licence stated that Atlantic Fuels Inc. operates at 16 Sublot A, Mudlot, Kingston, and that permission was being granted for the importation and wholesaling of diesel.
That office is the same one used by the Alphonsos.
Permission was also granted for the company to store the diesel at the Kingston location.
There were no visible signs of fuel storage facilities there. When asked about the absence of a storage bond at the company’s address, the GWI’s chief said that the licence does not require the company to store fuel at the lot.
When questioned further whether or not there was a bond in existence, he said that there was no storage facility anywhere. He further noted that the company is in discussions with the EPA to determine the construction of a bond. Asked if operations were on-going, he said no.
Contacted yesterday afternoon around17:00hrs, GEA’s head, Dr. Sharma, asked Kaieteur News to forward the questions to him via email. He warned that the newspaper should not expect an answer within “half of an hour”. There were no replies from him when checks were made as late as 22:30hrs.
GEA has been under scrutiny over the past year for its management of the fuel importation sector. With billions of dollars being purchased in fuel annually through GEA for the country, questions have been raised over monitoring, licencing and contracts.
One recent licence under question was granted to a Chinese company that allowed it to conduct oil export activities. Guyana does not export oil. That licence is reportedly in limbo.
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Disgusting. Now let the defenders bask in there idiocy.