SARA official’s application for oil block is a clear case of hypocrisy, opportunism

Jul 14, 2019 News

-Must remove himself from probe of Kaieteur, Canje blocks probe –Chartered Accountant, Chris Ram

If the Special Assistant of the State Asset Recovery Agency (SARA), Eric Phillips, is party to an application for a petroleum exploration licence or he is connected to the people involved, then he has no business being close to an investigation into oil blocks, says Chartered Accountant, Chris Ram.

Oil and Gas Consultant, Dr. Jan Mangal

SARA Special Assistant, Eric Phillips

Chartered Accountant, Chris Ram

Ram’s comments come in wake of a Kaieteur News article which exposed that Phillips is listed as a beneficial owner of a company called ABR (African Business Roundtable) Oil and Gas Exploration.
The firm applied in October 2016 for a petroleum exploration licence for Block C which is located in ultra deep waters.
According to the application, the ABR beneficial owners are listed as Seasoned Engineer, Charles Ceres (25%); former Guyana Goldfields Country Manager, Violet Smith (25%); Asafa George, a local businessman (25 %) and Eric Phillips (15 %).
Ceres has clarified that he resigned from ABR since September 2018. He noted that up to that time, Phillips was still part of the company. Phillips however, told this newspaper that he is no longer part of ABR, the company is a cofounder of.
Be that as it may, none of the individuals listed on the application has any track record of exploration and development of offshore blocks, which are located in ultra-deep waters. The only two companies in the world with this capability are ExxonMobil and Petrobras.
Considering the aforementioned, Ram said, “I think it is fair to say that Phillips has disclosed that he is no longer associated with the application. However it is clear at the time the application was made, he was so interested and was no doubt hoping that his name and position and the pseudo-cause he claims to represent, would allow for the granting of the license for which the roundtable had applied.”
The Chartered Accountant added, “It is absolutely necessary for him to remove himself because he is still associated with the application and with the other applicants. This kind of opportunism, duplicity and hypocrisy is what is giving this government such a deservedly bad name.”
Ram insists that the Phillips case, without a doubt, represents conflict of interest.
Also echoing Ram is Oil and Gas Consultant, Dr. Jan Mangal. He noted that the situation with Phillips is worse than the probe he is actually pursuing.
The former Advisor to the President said, too, that no Guyanese has Oil and Gas assets worth billions of US dollars, or experience pumping hundreds of thousands of barrels of oil per day. “Hence no Guyanese should be trying to get any of these blocks,” said Dr. Mangal.The Consultant added, “…The local greedy elites have already stolen, are now trying to steal and, will continue to try. Packaging a theft in some colourful pro-African or pro-Indian wrapping paper and bile does not make it valid. It is still a theft from the poor, and will only make the greedy elites filthy rich, and keep the poor, poor.”
Commenting on the same matter, Ram said he believes there can and should be a suitable arrangement between Guyanese locally, Diaspora members, and industry experts, so as to provide that bridge that would allow Guyanese to actively participate in the sector and have an ownership interest.

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