Latest update November 26th, 2024 1:00 AM
“I never resisted disclosure of ExxonMobil’s contract and US$18M signing bonus – Carl Greenidge
By Kiana Wilburg
Foreign Secretary,
Carl Greenidge
Former Presidential Advisor, Dr. Jan Mangal
Foreign Secretary Carl Greenidge is vehemently denying recent allegations made by former Presidential Advisor on Petroleum, Dr. Jan Mangal, that he resisted the disclosure of the ExxonMobil contract as well as government’s acceptance of an US$18M signing bonus.
During an interview yesterday with Kaieteur News, Greenidge said that Dr. Mangal’s claims in this regard can be best described as “utter fabrications” which are clearly defamatory and intended to damage the Government.
The former Minister of Foreign Affairs said, “…When Mangal speaks on issues of transparency, you would think he spoke to God himself. But let me tell you, the impression that Mangal and I were frequently locked in some battle or other over his proposals is rather foolish, because we have only spoken to each other on two occasions in the course of the four or so meetings at which I was aware of his presence.”
Greenidge further said that he never saw any proposal from Dr. Mangal about the disclosure of the contract or the signing bonus.
“So this claim that I was the most resistant, nothing could be further from the truth,” the Foreign Secretary added.
Further to this, Greenidge said that he was not Dr. Mangal’s policy Minister and was never asked by either President David Granger or Mangal’s immediate subject Minister, Mr Raphael Trotman, to comment on Mangal’s written work.
The Foreign Secretary said, “It is therefore astonishing that he would have the temerity to suggest that his failure to persuade his Minister/President or the Cabinet of the wisdom of ‘all’ his proposals is wholly attributable to me or my office.”
Greenidge said that the attempt to use him as a scapegoat is clearly a “barely disguised political attack on the Government.”
Additionally, Greenidge stated that he is not the first object of Dr. Mangal’s ire, adding that the former Presidential Advisor has sought to vilify in the same “intensively personal and self righteous fashion,” not only Minister Trotman, in whose policy realm he operated, but also Sir Shridath Ramphal and Mr Rashleigh Jackson whose remits are entirely foreign policy and law.
Finally, the Foreign Secretary categorically stated that he did not negotiate the ‘2016 contract’ or any petroleum contract with ExxonMobil and received no proposal from Mangal, directly or on his behalf, concerning the signing bonus.
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