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Probe of Chronicle spending, leaked financial papers…GM, Financial Controller sent on leave pending outcome
As the debacle at the Guyana National Newspaper Limited (GNNL) unfolds involving General Manager, Sherod Duncan, and Financial Controller Moshamie Ramotar, both individuals were sent on leave to facilitate investigations into the company’s spending and leaked financial record.
General Manager, Sherod Duncan
Finance Controller, Moshamie Ramotar
This followed an emergency meeting convened by the Prime Minister Moses to re-instate Ramotar mere hours after she was terminated by Duncan because she was believed to have leaked the financial papers.
Duncan, yesterday, posted on his Facebook page wrote,
“I will be proceeding on Administrative Leave with immediate effect from the Guyana National Newspaper Limited pending the outcome of investigations into allegations of mismanagement of funds and excessive spending. This is under direction of the Board of Directors. I welcome this decision. God is in charge and all shall be well.”
However, according to a well-placed source, this publication was reliably informed that Duncan was sent on immediate leave pending the outcome of the investigation while Ramotar is off for 14 days.
Duncan is alleged to have, within his probation period as General Manager, spent $5M, in just less than three months on the job. He reportedly spent the monies, in the absence of the Board, on furniture, a laptop and repairs to vehicles, among other things.
Following the leakage of the spending, Duncan, as GM, issued Ramotar with a termination letter. The letter said that the services of the Finance Comptroller were being ended with immediate effect.
“This is in keeping with the Personnel Policy and Procedures Manual 1991 and the Termination of Employment and Severance Pay Act 1997.”
The woman was told that Chronicle’s Accounts Department would prepare the outstanding benefits within seven days.
Meanwhile, Ramotar has since sought legal support and she is being represented by Attorney-at-law Sanjeev Datadin.
Datadin said that in his client’s termination letter “no reason was given for her dismissal”, neither was she given a hearing.
When questioned whether his client’s dismissal was linked to the leaked financial records of the General Manager, the lawyer reasoned that in the past, his client would have recognized “several breaches to the financial and procurement rules” by the General Manager’s office.
Over the weekend, social media went abuzz when financial records detailing the spending of the GM Duncan, made its way into the public domain.
GNNL is the state-owned publisher of the Guyana Chronicle and the Sunday Chronicle. It is funded with taxpayers’ dollars.
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