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Ongoing conflicts of interest

Apr 23, 2021 Letters

DEAR EDITOR,

This has reference to the scandal relating to former GuyOil General Manager, Mr. Trevor Bassoo, (KN Apr. 21 and 22). Was Mr. Bassoo involved in wrongdoings or was it a few others on the board that were making corrupt deals.
Has Bassoo resigned to protect his good name and because he and the Chair, Mr. Paul Cheong, and a couple other Directors and a finance official apparently were not getting along? Was the former GM coerced into approving transactions that he opposed or felt was not in keeping with sound business practices? Was he instructed to approve decisions not discussed or approved by the board? Who from the top gave the order? The board was in the dark about several transactions and decisions were apparently unilaterally overridden, but not by the GM. Who gave instruction to bypass one contractor for another to transport fuel? Why? Were tendering rules followed? It is understood that staff were hired and fired without board approval. An investigation is needed on who gave the approval to bypass the board in giving contracts and unilateral decision-making.
Unfortunately, those linked to improprieties made it appear in the media that Bassoo was involved in ‘deals.’ Was it so or were others involved? Facts were presented to the Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh. Regrettably, Dr. Singh did not give a report of his meeting with the Board except to say that an audit will be conducted (Apr. 21). The Minister should have provided a summary of the proceedings. Is the Minister acting prudently and in his best interests? Why is he silent? Did the chair, Paul Cheong, violate business practices or board rules?
GuyOil is not a private company that can hide its business operations and cover up shenanigans. It is a public government owned entity. It must report to its shareholders – the public. Its operations can’t be secretive. The public must be made aware of its transactions (purchases, sales, hiring and firings) and its business activities must be available for public scrutiny. Open the books! Government must have nothing to hide.
The guilty in the fuel scandal must be held accountable. Is Mr. Bassoo going to be the fall guy? The Senior Minister, Dr. Ashni Singh, said there would be an audit. He did not give a timeframe for the audit. When will it be conducted and by who? Will there be a cover up? An audit is needed urgently, completed within days on what really happened in the company. Who made the deal with ARI to purchase fuel? Who were slated as beneficiaries of the alleged kickback? The Minister, the board, and the audit must come clean on this one.
Editor, GuyOil is not the only board or Ministry embroiled in allegations of corruption or conflict of interest. An official and his family are currently living in a house on the East Bank Demerara owned by a businessman whose company bids for contracts from a Ministry. The businessman, who gets multi-million dollar contracts, has relocated to a house further up the East Bank Demerara. Is there a quid pro quo or ‘pay to play’ in this deal? Is this not a conflict of interest? Does the official have the capacity or is he fit to hold that portfolio? Does he not recognise the inappropriateness of accepting accommodation from a contractor?
Editor, it is now learned that NDIA (Ministry of Agriculture) has been split. The accounting and procurement sections have been removed from the rest of the unit (based at LBI) and brought to Georgetown, under close control of the Agriculture Minister. The Chair of NDIA, Mr. Lionel Wordsworth, an engineer by training, is being provided office space at Regent Street in this new arrangement to overlook procurement and accounting. His position is now akin to that of an executive chair or a GM. Several years back as reported in the media, his name popped up in questionable transactions. His return has raised a lot of questions. Does he remain in the employ of the group that bids for contracts at NDIA? If so, is this not another conflict of interest? Is conflict of interest the new norm of this government?
NDIA is an engineering unit. What is the motif of splitting it and bringing procurement and accounting sections and placing them so close to the Minister’s office? Procurement and Accounting should remain tied to the rest of NDIA.

Yours truly,
Thomas Whitehead

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