Harmon declines to give “personal opinion” on lopsided ExxonMobil deal …Says he was not retained as Counsel on the matter

Feb 24, 2018 News

Chartered Accountant, Chris Ram

The revelations about the flaws of the ExxonMobil-Guyana oil deal have been many. Several persons from civil society have been part of the daily commentary in this regard. But many remained concerned about the silence of some of the top lawyers of Cabinet.
They include Minister of State Joseph Harmon; Prime Minister, Moses Nagamootoo; Public Security Minister, Khemraj Ramjattan; and Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Basil Williams.
At his most recent press conference, Kaieteur News sought Harmon’s legal opinion on the contract, in light of all that has been revealed by concerned citizens.
The seasoned lawyer said, “Well I noticed that there are some commentators or experts who are now writing everyday in the Kaieteur News about oil and they are seeking to pull out some of the ministers who are lawyers. But the President has said it.”
He added, “We have dealt with the ExxonMobil contract and that we are not going back at it. It has been dealt with at Cabinet and the President has pronounced on the matter and that is the final pronouncement as far as we are concerned…
“And I would not want to offer my personal advice as a lawyer because I am not retained as a Counsel in this matter; I am the Minister of State.”
DEAFENING SILENCE
Chartered Accountant, Chris Ram, was the first person who recently called out the earlier mentioned ministers for their silence on the lopsided contract.

Minister of State, Joseph Harmon

The columnist in his recent writings said, “It is still hard to accept that serious, responsible and educated national leaders—including five attorneys-at-law (Minister of State Joseph Harmon, Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo, Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan, Natural Resources Minister, Raphael Trotman and Attorney General Basil Williams)—can sit in Cabinet more than fifty years after Independence, and one year AFTER the Contractor had made the world’s largest oil find, and agree to trade the future of an entire country and generations to come.”
Ram said that the prevention of some of the most appalling provisions in the contract only required that a single adult in Cabinet read the contract, understand the language and after being conscious of its implications, warn her/his colleagues of its grave and practically lasting consequences for the country.
Ram said that there were certainly Articles in the Contract which required the contribution of the learned Attorney General, “the Government’s chief legal officer, who has so far stayed out of, or been excluded from, the discussion and debate on the Agreement”.
The Chartered Accountant said it would be particularly interesting to benefit from information on his involvement, learning and contribution, and that of the remaining four attorneys, to the discussion on several articles in the contract which raise serious constitutional issues about the extent to which one government can bind successor governments.
Ram told Kaieteur News that he still finds it unbelievable that the Government which includes five learned lawyers, could sign onto a contract with leaves ExxonMobil exempt from any future changes in law, tax or otherwise.

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