AMIDST an ongoing forensic audit by the APNU+AFC Government, the Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) and Guyana Oil Company (GUYOIL), Lionel Wordsworth and Badrie Persaud, respectively, were both sent on administrative leave this week.According to information reaching this publication last evening, Persaud, who had been a registered candidate for the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) at the recently-concluded General and Regional Elections, was asked to proceed on over 200 days of leave, for which he has qualified. He is expected to proceed on leave from today.
This confirmation was made by Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, during an interview with News Source yesterday. According to Minister Harmon, Persaud was expected to have gone on leave around the same time that Wordsworth proceeded on his leave, which was just over a week ago.
Calls had been made following the May 11 elections for the GUYOIL Chief Executive Officer to resign from the State-owned company since he had decided to be a political party candidate. An adamant Persaud protested this, however, and refused to resign.
Prior to Persaud being requested to proceed on leave, Wordsworth, who had found himself at the centre of controversy over the years, was sent on 308 days leave which commenced on Monday, marking some 10 months he would be away.
These developments come at a time when forensic audits are being conducted into state agencies which include NDIA and GUYOIL. Wordsworth, an engineer, has
been under fire for the management of NDIA which has been accused of significant corruption.
Wordsworth also faced public embarrassment in 2012 for alleged malpractices, with leader of the Alliance For Change, Khemraj Ramjattan charging, “This was the same person, who months after being appointed CEO of NDIA, saw his wife who was working for $42,000 per month buy a house for $60M.”
“This is vindication of their princely lifestyle and how it is sustained,” Ramjattan had said, hinting at the alleged corruption under the previous administration.
Additionally, in 2012, following an audited report, the immediate dismissal of the NDIA CEO and the Senior Section Engineer, Aneel Chowbay, was recommended. Conflict of interest and several instances of fraud in relation to fuel consumption and equipment operations were reportedly unearthed according to a Kaieteur News report.
However, GUYOIL has not escaped public scrutiny with the most recent episode being the issuance of “free” gasoline to former Government officials. Minister of State Joseph Harmon has described this as a pattern of “serious abuse by the previous administration.”
Meanwhile, the APNU+AFC Government has indicated its intention to re-structure some of the boards of State-owned entities, including GUYOIL.
By Ravin Singh
