Georgetown: Aerswar Deonarine Deputy Chief Executive Officer (DCEO Administration) of the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) Company and Carvil Duncan President of the Federation of Independent Trade Unions (FITUG) and Director on GPL's Board are now in serious financial trouble, as an on-gong forensic audit at GPL has unearthed the unauthorised transfer of $28. 748 million into their personal bank accounts.
According to Minister of Public Infrastructure David Patterson, the money was taken from the PetroCaribe fund, confirming what the current Administration has always maintained, that is, money has been siphoned off from the PetroCaribe fund, thereby leaving it in a state of bankruptcy.
Minister Patterson, who briefed the media at a post-Cabinet press conference at the Ministry of the Presidency Shiv Chanderpaul Drive, explained that the findings were made known to him via the auditing company, Hughes Financial Associates.
According to him, $27.8 million went to Mr. Deonarine’s account and $948,000 to that of Mr. Duncan. The Minister explained that Deonarine, in collusion with Duncan, in June 2015, transferred the $27.8 million to Deonarine’s account in lieu of retroactive payments for salary increase that was never approved. The argument posited from Deonarine is that his salary was supposed to be on the same scale as that of GPL’s second DCEO (Operations & Projects).
The Minister detailed that at no time did the Board of Directors consent to this arrangement, even though Deonarine made several approaches to them. It was also revealed that neither the previous Prime Minister Sam Hinds nor the Previous Head of State Donald Ramotar assent to this transfer, leaving Mr. Duncan as the possible culpable partner.
Currently, as the audit goes forward, Deonarine has been sent on Administrative leave, pending further and full investigations, after which Cabinet will be apprised.
Carvil Duncan’s issue relates to the money he also allegedly gave approval for. This too has to do with retroactive payments, dating back to some 48 months, during which time he was paid $5,000.00 monthly as a board member, but had repeated insisted on an increase to $20,000.00.
Minister Patterson added that the matter has taken on a most serious import and the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Guyana Police Force is now actively engraved in probing the issue, treating it as a heinous crime.
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