ExxonM, EPA bosses facing arrest after failing to appear before Parliamentary Committee

Aug 08, 2024 News

…MPs unanimously agree to expedite process

Kaieteur News – American oil major, ExxonMobil and regulator of the petroleum sector, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have been dodging invitations from the Natural Resources Sectoral Committee of the National Assembly over the past seven months.

Representatives of these agencies can however be arrested and detained until they can appear before the legislative body. This is according to the Evidence Act Chapter 1:08. This section of the legislation was quoted by Clerk of the National Assembly, Sherlock Isaacs during the last Natural Resources Sectoral Committee, convened on July 19. Alliance For Change (AFC) Member of Parliament (MP), Catherine Hughes sought the guidance of the Clerk, after expressing her concerns over the stymied work of the Committee.

To this end, Isaacs pointed out that, “a witness could be anyone in Guyana, either private or public sector able to give any information with respect to the subject matter of any question arising for its determination or has any books, plans, or documents in his possession or under his control in any way relating to the subject matter of that question, that body may cause a summons to be issued to the person in Form 1 in the Schedule.”

In explaining the process, Isaacs noted that if the agency fails to appear after receiving an invitation issued by the Clerk of the Committee, the Clerk of the National Assembly would then dispatch a letter to the Agency emphasising the importance of their appearance before the Committee. Should the agencies still refuse to appear before the Committee, the Clerk of the National Assembly would seek assistance from the Registrar of the Supreme Court to garner momentum by issuing a summons for their appearance.

The Summons would serve to inform in keeping with the Evidence Act that, “If any person summoned to attend as a witness before a legislative body, refuses or neglects, without sufficient cause, to attend at the time and place mentioned in the summons, that body may issue a warrant in Form 2 in the Schedule, or in any other form the circumstances require, signed by the person carrying out the functions of secretary to the body, authorising and directing the Registrar or any marshal to arrest that person and detain him in custody until he can be brought before the legislative body.”

During the Parliamentary Sectoral Meeting, members unanimously agreed that the Clerk of the National Assembly should expedite the process for the agencies to appear.

In April this year during an AFC press conference, Hughes explained that the Committee, through Isaacs, had written the request to Exxon, through the Prime Minister’s office to follow the established protocols. The MP however indicated that when the AFC enquired about the appearance of Exxon; they were informed that Isaacs requested copies of the correspondences from the Office of the Prime Minister that were sent to Exxon.

At that time, she told reporters, “As a member of the Committee we know that we have been sending letters since November of last year so we are going over to six months and of course what has been told, is although we request that if you can’t make the proposed date, please recommend a date, the subsequent correspondence just says we are unable to attend.” The MP argued it was “wholly unacceptable” that Exxon and the EPA were dodging scrutiny since it impacts the tenets of transparency and accountability.

arrest, Committee, EPA, Exxon, parliamentary

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ExxonM, EPA bosses facing arrest after failing to appear before Parliamentary Committee

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