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Donald Ramotar and Robert Persaud should come clean on blocks

Oct 27, 2020 Letters

Dear Editor,

I applaud your media house for the nationalistic position taken on our natural resources. No other media has given the kind of attention exposing fraud in the oil blocks. You are absolutely courageous. Without your investigative reports, we would not know the roles of Donald Ramotar, Robert Persaud, and some other key players in the oil blocks. Without your daily reports, we would not know how the blocks were acquired and the large sums that were apparently involved in bribery to silence people. Ramotar should come clean on the blocks and the role, if any, of Robert Persaud. Who else were involved in giving away blocks?
Clearly, politicians can’t cower you into silence. You are absolutely correct that our oil resources were given away virtually for free. In fact, it looks like we pay to give it away because we are paying for all their expenses including hotel bills and entertainment. And you are right that several politicians from both sides were behind that scam, a crooked set. They are beneficiaries. Is that why they are silent?
A few are pretending they did not receive kickbacks identifying names who got paid off from sales of the blocks – but they also got paid big time. The country is hundreds of billions of American dollars poorer from the signing away of the blocks, sale and resale.
I agree with you reports that covering up fraud and giving away our resources are tantamount to acts of treason. Those responsible must be held accountable.
Former President Donald Ramotar said he did nothing wrong, and that he merely signed the agreements to approve the blocks. In that case, why can’t he at least tell the nation what exactly transpired. Why were those particular owners chosen for the blocks? Why is he silent? Why isn’t he answering the question of who are the true owners of the blocks?
The former President should put the facts out. Facts won’t jeopardize his standing in the country or the lame case, which he filed against KN. At a minimum, he should set the record straight by going public. Why hide under the cover of court that putting out the facts would jeopardize his case against KN? Doesn’t he want to vindicate himself in public?
If Mr. Ramotar is not a beneficiary of the blocks, then it is all the more reason to come clean on what really happened. Unless he comes clean, address queries, people would think he was also a beneficiary of the fraud perpetrated on the nation. Does he feel he was misled into signing the blocks and by whom? Tell the nation who got the proceeds of sale and resale of oil blocks and why taxes weren’t paid to the government. Was due diligence carried out in investigating the companies assigned the blocks? If Robert Persaud failed to carry out due diligence of the agreement and the companies involved in the scam, then he should be immediately removed as Foreign Secretary and as gatekeeper for investment. Ramotar’s public disclosure will ensure the country does not have a recurrence of similar nature.
Yours truly,
Shawn Simmons

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