Don’t ask…

… don’t tell, in politics
To say that the revelation that Nigel Hughes is, and has been, the company secretary for Amaila Falls Hydro Inc (AFHI) since its formation in 2009 is a bombshell would be the understatement of the decade. Or at least, since he became chairman of the Alliance For Change (AFC). The leader of the AFC, Khemraj Ramjattan confessed that while he knew of some “association” between Hughes and the firm, his chairman hadn’t shared with him the news that the “association” was actually that of company secretary.
Now, in case some of my readers might have dozed off during previous mentions of AFHI, let me bring you up to speed. AFHI is a “Special Purpose Vehicle” (SPV) established specifically to execute all the contracts on the hydro project and, more importantly, to collect all the funds for the owners’ investment. The owners are Sithe Global (60 per cent) and government of Guyana (40 per cent).
Like all incorporated businesses, AFHI will basically protect its debtors from going after its owners’ personal assets. Now a “company secretary” isn’t someone in a short skirt who takes notes in shorthand. Hughes is basically the legal officer of AFHI and in that capacity would have advised, for instance, on the entity getting the best deal – that is making the maximum profits from the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) – from the deal.
Now as AFC leader Ramjattan said, as a professional lawyer, Hughes can sell his services to whomever he wants.
We have no problem with this. What we have a problem with is that Hughes has been less than “professional” in not revealing his employment in a company that has been in the centre of a controversy precipitated by his party’s position.
Ramjattan assured us that Hughes recused himself when matters involving the Amaila Falls hydro project were being discussed by the AFC. But if Ramjattan and other party members didn’t know of how key a position Hughes held in the SPV, how can we be sure that in informal contexts Hughes might not have influenced others? Or even Ramjattan himself?
In our highly-charged political atmosphere of accusations and counter accusations of “conflict of interests” and “self-interested parties”, shouldn’t Hughes, at least, have revealed the true nature of his involvement? Like when, for instance, on June 21, he articulated his party’s position on the Amaila Falls hydro project at a press conference? Hughes’ wife, Cathy, has also been caught in this potential conflict of interest, since she was the public relations officer of Synergy Holdings Inc, the investment vehicle of Fip Motilall and his successor, Sithe Global. But at least this information has been in the public domain.
The revelation on Hughes certainly left a bitter taste on many a supporter’s tongue.
… about self over patriotism
Was a time when the hunger for fame and fortune would’ve been trumped by the urge to protect one’s country. No more. Imagine that the deadline we were given by the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF) to comply with the recommendations to amend our Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism laws will not be met, because the opposition insisted on flexing their political muscles.
They’ve admitted they have no substantive, much less substantial, objections to the bills that they won’t approve.
If they did, why would they say they’ll approve them if the government constitutes a Public Procurement Commission? You don’t compromise so easily on something that’s of such great consequence as the opposition professes.
So now Guyana is going to be placed on a “watch list” on all international transfers of funds. And don’t think it’s only businesses that’ll be affected. They’ll just pass on the extra processing costs to you, the customers.
… about cricket crowd control
Did the traffic police throw out the standard operating procedures (SOPs) worked out during Cricket World Cup 2007? It certainly looked like that, especially during the first night of the Limacol Caribbean Premier League (CPL) at Providence. Professional cricket shouldn’t be strangled by unprofessional police.