Singh asks Audit Office to probe GUYOIL after dealer alleges corruption
-GM resigns but denies wrongdoing
Following allegations of procurement irregularities at the state-owned Guyana Oil Company Limited (GUYOIL), whose General Manager abruptly resigned yesterday, Finance Minister Dr. Ashni Singh has invited the Auditor General to investigate and sounded a warning that corruption will not be tolerated.
“I registered our government’s grave concern at the report that was circulating this morning and invited them to clarify the issues, which they did,” Singh told Stabroek News after a meeting with GUYOIL’s Board.
He was referencing allegations made by a fuel dealer from the firm Aaron Realty Inc (ARI), who is claiming that he is now left with a large quantity of fuel on hand after commitments were made by some company officials that GUYOIL would buy it. The dealer claims that he has evidence of the commitments by officials of the company who also tried to solicit kickbacks in return for the company’s purchase.
“The Board assured me that there is no contract with the company in question-ARI. Nonetheless, I said to them that given the allegations in the public domain, I would like the
Auditor General to be called in immediately to investigate. The matter in its entirety will be investigated,” Singh, however, added.
GUYOIL yesterday also denied the allegations, saying that while ARI was one of several companies it had been in discussions with, it had not contracted the company to supply fuel. “There is absolutely no truth to this allegation,” the company said in a statement following the meeting between the Board and Singh. “GUYOIL wishes to categorically state that whilst ARI was one of a number of companies which GUYOIL had discussions [with] on the possible supply of fuel, GUYOIL has not at any time entered into a contract with ARI,” it further added.
An official of the oil company explained to this newspaper that it follows stringent internal procurement due diligence practices and lawful guidelines and this is why it cannot commit to the handling of any contract.
Singh stressed that he was in no way implicating anyone but wanted to underscore across all ministries, state agencies and entities President Irfaan Ali’s “intolerance for corrupt practices and mismanagement of public resources,” and to sound a warning that “it will not be tolerated and any wrongdoing will be met with condign action.”
An attendee at yesterday’s meeting with Singh said that the minister “read the riot act” as he emphasised that under his watch the violation of laws will not be condoned.
Singh’s warning came even as General Manager of GUYOIL Trevor Bassoo, who had been appointed six months ago, denied “allegations being peddled” and immediately tendered his resignation. Bassoo told this newspaper that he would not go into details on issues surrounding the allegations until after seeking legal counsel.
“I did tender, to the Board of Directors, my resignation. I would really prefer to speak to a lawyer before anything but what is being peddled is not true,” he said.
Cautious
Asked why that he would quit his job a mere six months after being hired if he knew the allegations to be untrue, he said that he prefers to be on the cautious side and not say anything that “might cause more problems…”
Bassoo promised that after seeking legal counsel,