Chris Ram’s attack on Clive Thomas may be personal

Mar 01, 2017 Letters

Dear Editor,
Isn’t it rather revealing that the person most aggrieved by the imminent passage of the State Asset Recovery Bill is a lawyer and accountant of some of the largest companies and wealthiest individuals in Guyana.
The attack on Prof. Clive Thomas by Christopher Ram seems to have a very deep edge to it; a very personal edge. Earlier this year, Christopher Ram call Prof. Clive Thomas not “fit and proper” to run SARU. Yet, Chris was on a list of names of potential GECOM Heads that was deemed not fit and proper that most rational Guyanese and diplomats would deem fit and proper.
Christopher Ram, rather than address the issues of the Bill in his letter chooses to spend the first part of the letter to attack Prof. Clive Thomas whom a few weeks ago received kudos from his peers at the launch of the CLR James Magazine that was a tribute to Prof. Clive Thomas. Similarly at the launch of the Clive Thomas Lecture series in November last year, similar praises were sung by a wide cross section of Guyanese and foreigners as a man whom is considered the most pre-eminent economist in the Caribbean today. Chris is the only one, apart from the PSC that questions Prof. Thomas’s integrity and willingness to go after anyone that stole state assets.
Why this personal attack including questioning Prof. Thomas’ outstanding decades long work on Guysuco and stolen assets? Even Chris Ram in his presentation to the Guysuco COI suggested that the taxpayers should not continue to fund Guysuco as can be seen on his website.
But let’s get to the facts. Surely Christopher Ram does not deny the scale of theft and corruption in Guyana especially during the last 23 years. Is he disputing the facts of the Auditor General on procurement fraud stated to be about G$28 billion per year? Christopher Ram was hired by the PSC to analyse the State Asset Bill and to destroy it. That was the intention; vested interest often converge.
Chris claims the Bill gives the Director extraordinary powers more than the President etc. This is not true. Why doesn’t Chris quote the lines of the Bill for the general public to interpret? Why doesn’t Chris claim the DPP has more powers than the President as she certainly does in criminal matters?
The Bill states that the DPP, Police and GRA should be obligated to provide information when necessary. Not that the Director have their powers. How deceptive a recasting of truths. But then we are dealing with a lawyer.
Chris needs to stop the public masquerade as it brings into question what he is afraid of given he knows a great deal about individuals and companies in Guyana. Perhaps when the Bill is passed and some are asked to return stolen assets, Chris’ reaction and that of the PSC will be better understood. It is time to drain the swamp of corruption and stolen assets. Many well known persons are involved as the paper trail will and have shown. Many are willing to distort the truth because they are reasons to.
Eric Phillips

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