AMID allegations of widespread corruption, Chief Executive Officer of the National Industrial and Commercial Investment Limited (NICIL), Winston Brassington, said he stands willing to undergo public scrutiny in the courts of law, maintaining that he is man of integrity. A leaked forensic audit report on the operations of NICIL suggests that under the watch of People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government, NICIL engaged in malpractices, and would have made poor decisions on behalf of the people of Guyana.
But during a press conference yesterday at his Kingston office, Brassington refuted the allegations levied against him, and NICIL by extention.
“I am confident of my integrity; I have operated for 20 years in Government. We have done a lot of projects; everything that we did has been guided by decisions and paperwork that go through the Board; that go through Cabinet and even Parliament,” he told the media.
Alluding to the preliminary audit report which was conducted by former Auditor General of Guyana, Anand Goolsarran, Brassington said contrary to reports in the press, at no stage did the audit report suggest that US$5M was hidden in a secret account.

CLARITY
In an effort to offer greater clarity, it was explained that in 2012, G$1B was advanced by the Guyana National Cooperative Bank (GNCB) to NICIL on the authority of the President for intended investment in the Marriott Project.
The sum, he said, was deposited to NICIL’s regular bank accounts and was not kept in any separate or special or secret account.
“NICIL’s financial statements properly and consistently showed the G$1B as an amount due to GNCB. The entire G$1B was returned to GNCB in 2015 with the approval of the NICIL’s Board, since the Marriott had already been opened and Republic Bank loan funds had also become available.
“These funds have since been paid into the Consolidated Fund,” he explained.
Another issue of concern surrounded the Lot 44 High Street property – according to the preliminary audit report, the contract for the construction of Government offices at 44 High Street was awarded to Kishan Bacchus General Construction Contractors in March 2007.
NICIL, in its response, pointed out that funding for that project was approved by Parliament.
“The forensic auditor’s use of confidential records of the company such as the minutes of a Board to express a judgment is unethical and should be struck out.
“There is no nexus between the isolated statement used and a law that has been broken. NICIL owned the land having paid valuable consideration for it at the time of the merger of GTV and GBC and the relocation of the GBC operations to its current location. In both sugar (GUYSUCO) and bauxite (Guymine, Linmine and Bermine), companies have many similar arrangements,” the CEO further pointed out.

WILLING TO GO
Questioned whether he is willing to demit office, considering the fact that most of his career he spent working for the PPP/C Government, now in Opposition, Brassington said though he will have no objection, if the current Administration asks him to leave, he remains committed to his country.
“First and foremost,” he said, “I am a professional, and I have considerable institutional knowledge… I am firmly committed to seeing many of the projects succeed.
“The Marriot, I have spent quite a lot of time and effort on the hydro project, and we were the ones that basically led the Berbice Bridge.”
However, he said since 2012, he would have signaled his intention to be a consultant of the Government but remained because of his commitment to the projects started under his leadership.
“I am a professional; I am committed to Guyana. I have worked for many important projects in Guyana… And if the Government says to me they don’t want me, I am fine with that; I am fine with that. I said to the previous Government I want to leave but I also felt committed,” he added.
By Svetlana Marshall