Damning findings of Global Witness Report… Granger should demand Trotman’s removal from electoral list until inquiry is completed - Charles Ramson Jr.

Damning findings of Global Witness Report… Granger should demand Trotman’s removal from electoral list until inquiry is completed – Charles Ramson Jr.

Feb 05, 2020 News

By Kiana Wilburg

In light of the shocking details of the Global Witness report called “Signed Away”, Attorney-at-Law and Opposition Member, Charles Ramson Jr. says it would be in the best interest of the nation for President David Granger to launch an immediate investigation or Commission of Inquiry into the role that Natural Resources Minister, Raphael Trotman, played in the Stabroek Block negotiations with ExxonMobil.
“Signed Away” which was released on Monday and has sparked a national debate, states that Trotman may have ignored critical advice that could have saved Guyana US$55B as well as secure better financial terms than those which exist in the Stabroek Block Production Sharing Agreement (PSA).
During an interview with Kaieteur News yesterday, Ramson said that the damning findings of the report are more than enough for Granger to demand that Trotman step down from the electoral list until an independent investigation or inquiry can clear his name.
The Opposition Member said, “An inquiry has to be done to determine whether any or none of this is true, and if it is true, then ‘sellouts’ should never offer themselves to be candidates on the list for elections. They should never be able to put themselves forward to be elected representatives.”
Further to this, Ramson said that if Guyanese are to truly see the benefit of its natural resources, it needs to have elected officials who possess the courage to stand up for their interest, as well as the technical expertise to understand the value of the nation’s natural resources.
Ramson also said it is important for the nation to bear in mind that the Global Witness exposé vindicates the few individuals and media houses such as Kaieteur News which have been standing up for Guyanese on these matters, irrespective of the severe ridicule, pressure, and criticisms received from the sellouts and blind supporters.
TROTMAN’S ROLE
The Global Witness report that was released on Monday calls for an investigation into Trotman, since his actions prior to the signing of the Stabroek Block deal raise numerous questions.
According to Global Witness, the negotiations and subsequent signing of the ExxonMobil-Guyana deal was done quickly. From evidence it saw, negotiations began April 4 or April 5, 2016 at the Exxon headquarters outside Houston, Texas, with Trotman and other officials from the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC). The international NGO said that the trip was a glamorous affair.
The transparency body said, “Trotman flew first class, slept in pricey hotels, ate at Joule – Exxon’s exclusive Wolfgang Puck restaurant – and was chauffeured around in limousines. Exxon paid for it all. During this trip, it appears that the Minister and his colleagues did not negotiate a new Stabroek licence.”
Interviewed by Global Witness in July 2019, Trotman stated first that he did not visit Exxon during the Stabroek negotiations, then said he would need to check his notes.
The Minister subsequently sent Global Witness a memo summarising his late April 2016 trip, prepared by the visiting officials. The memo shows Trotman did visit Exxon’s headquarters while a new deal was being discussed, but makes no mention of negotiations during the trip.
Instead, Trotman’s all-expense paid visit to Exxon’s Texas headquarters was spent listening to technical presentations and visiting a facility where drilling samples were kept.
“What was most striking,” the visiting officials wrote, “was the very strong smell of oil that filled the room, and which the geologist present indicated was a strong indicator of large deposits of oil on the Liza 1 well.”
Global Witness said it is not suggesting that Trotman’s Texas trip violated US or Guyanese anti-corruption laws. However, given the Minister’s legal responsibility for negotiating Exxon’s oil licence at the time he visited the company’s headquarters, Exxon’s apparent generosity does raise questions about the company’s compliance with its Gifts and Entertainment Policy.
Asked in July 2019 whether he felt uncomfortable having Exxon pay for such a luxurious trip, Trotman told Global Witness that he did not, because other Guyanese officials were with him.
A December 2019 request by Global Witness for further comment went unanswered.

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Damning findings of Global Witness Report… Granger should demand Trotman’s removal from electoral list until inquiry is completed – Charles Ramson Jr.

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Damning findings of Global Witness Report… Granger should demand Trotman’s removal from electoral list until inquiry is completed – Charles Ramson Jr.

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