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Norton not interested in report on Exxon’s US$214M audit fiasco
….says Roysdale Forde acting on his own with requests to Govt.
Kaieteur News – While his Shadow Attorney General, Roysdale Forde has approached the government for a copy of the investigative report that details the mishandling of an audit into ExxonMobil’s US$1.7B expenses, Opposition Leader, Aubrey Norton clarified yesterday that he has no interest it in. He also confirmed that this is the position of the political opposition.
Shadow Attorney General, Roysdale Forde
On Tuesday, Forde informed the media that he dispatched two letters, one to the Commissioner of Information, Charles Ramson Snr. and another to Natural Resources Minister, Vickram Bharrat.
His letter to Ramson requested a copy of the employment contract for Gopnauth “Bobby” Gossai who serves as the Senior Petroleum Coordinator for the Ministry of Natural Resources. Gossai was identified by his ministry as the official who engaged Exxon in the unauthorised reduction of its questionable expenses from US$214M to US$3M. The US$214M sum was flagged by IHS Markit, a British firm that audited Exxon’s spending in the Stabroek Block for the period 1999 to 2017.
Forde’s letter the Natural Resources Minister requested a copy of the investigative report on Gossai’s actions. Norton made it clear yesterday that while he respects Forde’s right to seek information; his request is not one that represents the Opposition’s stance.
“The Office of the Leader of the Opposition wishes to reaffirm that the PPP’s attempts to throw public servant Bobby Gossai, Senior Petroleum Coordinator in the MNR, under the bus for the $214M audit scandal have fooled no one that culpability fully rests with his subject Minister and with Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo,” Norton’s office said.
Opposition Leader, Aubrey Norton
He added, “While the Office of the Leader of the Opposition fully supports the rights of our members of parliament to seek information on government affairs, we wish to declare that, as a political entity, we have absolutely no interest in the audit probe report and in Mr. Gossai’s employment contract, as have been requested of the government by one of our MPs.” Norton said the probe by government is “an insult to the intelligence of the Guyanese people.” The official said he nor the wider Opposition he represents, will play no part in it.
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