Sitting ministers have indirect links to gold industry – House told “Transferring to your children and husband does not take you out of the gaining” – Teixeira

Nov 23, 2018 News

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By Abena Rockcliffe-Campbell

The Parliamentary Opposition is not satisfied that the Coalition government is doing enough to ensure its ministers are cleared of beneficial ownership.
Speaking on this issue last evening was no less than opposition Chief Whip, Gail Teixeira.
The Chief Whip thinks that Minister Simona Broomes, in particular, remains in a compromising position.
Recently, Teixeira posed questions to Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman, about beneficial ownership or interest, whether direct or indirect, by Ministers of the Government, in any mining or forestry licence.
In response, Minister Trotman provided the Clerk of the National Assembly, Sherlock Isaacs with a copy of a letter from the Guyana Forestry Commission – the agency responsible for issuing forestry licences, which states that the GFC “has not issued any forestry licence to any Minister.”
Also, a letter from the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission given to Isaacs and circulated in the House states that two Ministers of Government — Broomes and Dawn Hastings — are recorded as having held mining interests which pre-date their assumption to the position they currently hold.

Minister Trotman said that he was advised by both Ministers that they have relinquished all and any interest and control in the said mining ventures.
However, based on the information provided, those on the Opposition benches do not agree that “all interest and control” have been relinquished.
Teixeira said that, “The so called transfer to the children of Broomes is still beneficial ownership, it is just a bit indirect now.”
The Chief Whip noted that the transfers were made to Troy Broomes, Simona Troyanner Broomes and Hector Broomes. These are the names of the Minister’s husband, daughter and son respectively. Of note too is the fact that the Minister held ownership of at least one of her claims up to last year, long after she was appointed Minister within the Ministry of Natural Resources, which is the Ministry tasked with oversight of the mining industry.
Teixeira told Kaieteur News, “It is like the same story that is going on in the United States with (President Donald) Trump. He was supposed to put his things in a blind trust. In fact, the Integrity Act talks about that too, about being in a blind trust that is, and that means that you kind of relinquish control or relationship to that person who is given the trust.”
Teixeira continued, “Trump transferred Trump Tower and everything to his kids, so I think when you go to FATF (Financial Action Task Force) definition of beneficial ownership in the Anti-money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Act 2015, the definition of beneficial ownership is direct and indirect. I think that was one of the first acts the government passed; it was in June or July 2015. The definition is very clear; it excludes you of things like this, of transferring your property to your kids.

Opposition Member Irfaan Ali asked Minister Trotman to provide the National Assembly with the number of licences issued for the export of gold in the last three years, the names of the persons who were granted a licence, and the year it was granted.
The Clerk of the National Assembly has been provided with a copy of a letter from the Guyana Gold Board listing twelve dealerships, which were granted licences to possess, sell or export gold. No Minister in the present Government was granted such a licence. The Guyana Gold Board is the authorizing agency for issuing the license.
But last night, Ali said that the responses to both his and Teixeira’s questions were lacking.
He said that he is preparing follow-up questions “and I will talk to you more about that soon.”
Ali said that more information needs to be provided on the linkages that Ministers have to companies that have been granted licences.
“We need to know who are the directors of those companies, who have controlling interest, what about the relations, directly or indirectly. And we need to know who are the persons associated with companies that have given licences. Also, who are working those claims?”
Ali said that he and Teixeira’s were framed after numerous requests were made by “several” players in the mining sector “they would have come to us, they are the ones worried about this.”
He continued, “If a minister has children who are operating the claim, the Minister might say she does not have links, but the fact is, she has children and other relatives operating the sector, so isn’t that a link? I would not call that indirect, we have to examine the nature of the link. This deserves a thorough review.”

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