Sherod Duncan ‘still dismissed’

Jun 15, 2019 News

Fired Chronicle General Manager Sherod Duncan is still not reinstated, according to Director General at the Ministry of the Presidency, Joseph Harmon.

Sherod Duncan

That’s despite reports that Duncan went back to work last Thursday, since being ordered reinstated at the Guyana Chronicle – Guyana National Newspapers Limited (GNNL) – as Publisher and General Manager, by Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo.
Kaieteur News understands that since that day, Duncan has not returned to work.
The matter all started when GNNL’s Board of Directors made a decision on April 2, to fire Duncan, after an audit report found that over 20 transactions did not follow financial regulations.
Nagamootoo had later corresponded with GNNL Board Chair, Geeta Chandan-Edmond, giving instructions to the Board to rescind the decision to fire Duncan, and claiming that the board had not voted to fire him.
The letter from PM Nagamootoo has resulted in the matter becoming a public spat, with a number of board members quitting as a result and several staff members resigning.
During the post Cabinet press briefing yesterday, Harmon told reporters that the government’s position is that Duncan is still dismissed, meaning that Nagamootoo’s order was not implemented.
Even though Nagamootoo had ordered the board to rescind its dismissal of Duncan, Harmon said yesterday that government respects the independence of the boards it appoints. He further said that the matter will be addressed by Cabinet during its next sitting.
Nagamootoo yesterday stated that he is currently in the process of reconstituting the Board of Directors, since three members have resigned. He said that the newly constituted board will consider and make a decision on Duncan’s status.
Nagamootoo noted that his position is that the decision on Duncan’s status should be based on due process and procedural fairness. He added that the explanations given by Harmon yesterday, do not contradict nor do they “negativise” his directive.

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