Aeshwar Deonarine sues K/News, Minister Patterson for $1B

Aug 01, 2017 News

Aeshwar Deonarine who was accused of stealing $27 million from the Guyana Power Light (GPL) has filed a billion dollar lawsuit against Kaieteur News and Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson.
He is claiming that the reports injured his character and reputation, leaving him liable to public ridicule.
Deonarine, the former Deputy Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the power company was charged for simple larceny in January 2016 after it was alleged that he transferred $27M to his personal bank accounts from the PetroCaribe funds.
The charges were withdrawn against him by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) in April. A warrant was issued for his arrest by Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan. It was reported that Deonarine fled to Canada.
In the legal document, which was filed by on behalf of Deonarine by Attorney-at-Law Murseline Bacchus in the High Court, Glenn Lall, Publisher of Kaieteur News; and Adam Harris, Editor-in-Chief of Kaieteur News, were named as the third and fourth defendants respectively.
The second and fifth named defendants are listed as National Media and Publishing Company Limited and Kaieteur News respectively.
Deonarine is contending that in a November 11, 2015 issue of Kaieteur News the defendants falsely and malicious printed and published an article “Government makes no effort to recover $27M from former GPL Deputy CEO.”
The document said that by publishing the article the whole world understood that Deonarine had stolen $27M from GPL, or at least took the sum to which he was not entitled from GPL and had committed a criminal offence, and as such, sues the defendants jointly for damages to the tune of $1B, with costs.
The article, the document said, highlighted that Deonarine had reportedly signed off on payments to himself totalling $27M. Duncan who was a former Director at GPL received $948,000.
“The discoveries of the suspicious monetary transfers were made by independent auditors who were probing the PetroCaribe Fund, which held proceeds of oil shipments taken from neighbouring Venezuela. Some of the monies were used to buy Wartsila engines for GPL among other things.”
The monies represented back pay the men felt they deserved, the document said was published.
It went on to say that Kaieteur News published that Deonarine, who had been responsible for administration had reportedly wanted to receive the same level of pay as the then Deputy CEO (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.
The document said that this newspaper published, “When Minister of Public Infrastructure David Patterson confronted Duncan, he kept changing his story. In the first instance, Duncan said that the Board approved it.
“When told that officials of the board denied this, Duncan then said it was the Chairman, Winston Brassington. But Brassington reportedly also denied granting approval. Duncan then said it may have been the former Prime Minster Samuel Hinds. Hinds when contacted distanced him from the payment.”
“Confronted again, Duncan then suggest it may have been former President Donald Ramotar. According to Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, Government has taken steps to ensure that no interference will come as a result of the findings.”
Here is a link to read the full article online: https://kaieteurnewsonline.com/2015/11/11/govt-makes-no-effort-to-recover-27m-from-former-gpl-deputy-ceo/_GoBack_GoBack.

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