By Ariana Gordon

Minister within the Ministry of Natural Resources Simona Broomes said she “will not buckle” as allegations of conflict of interest continue to surface following the transfer of a dredge to her children. Broomes, a miner for more than 28 years, told reporters on Monday that she will stand up to all the challenges before her, while asserting that “there is no conflict of interest” and “I have done nothing wrong”.
The minister explained that she and her family have been involved in mining for more than two decades and when she became Minister within the Ministry of Natural Resources, she decided to transfer her dredge, which has been out of operation for a number of years, to her children.
“I am not responding to the attack but I am giving clarity to the issue… what is circulating is very deliberate and I expected it,” she told reporters during a media briefing at the Ministry of Natural Resources, Brickdam.
She was at the time making reference to an article carried by the Stabroek News on Sunday and one carried by the Guyana Times on Monday.
Both articles alleged conflict of interest by the transfer, but Broomes reiterated that she has done nothing wrong.
“I transferred a dredge… I did not transfer a Mining Permit (MP) to my daughter… a dredge is what I transferred…that is all I transferred,” she added as she explained that the dredge has been in existence for decades.
The minister added that the allegation of conflict of interest is vexatious, as she has no role to play in the granting of permission to mine. Broomes applied for the transfer of the dredge to her children, one of whom bears the same first and last names, as she.
“To say that special favours were handed down is false. I have no saying in these matters.” The Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC), she said is responsible for the granting of permission for the transfer of dredge from one person to another. Permission was granted by GGMC for the transfer of the dredge SD 1967 from Minister Broomes to her two children.
The minister said citizens need to be cautious of the attempts by several to malign her and her family. She said she wrote to Commissioner of GGMC earlier this year requesting that the dredge be transferred to her children.
That permission was granted, but the signing of the documents could not have been done immediately, as her children were abroad and had to return to Guyana to finalise the process.
NO SPECIAL PRIVILEGES
Broomes added that her children, who are involved in the industry have no choice but to comply with the laws. She said her position as a minister would not grant them special privileges.
“While my children are in the sector, they have no other door to go through but the right one…. I think it is very outstanding that a minister has a child towing the line and going by the law… I have always taught my children to be law abiding,” she noted, while adding that the issues were foreseeable.
“I knew that my involvement in this Ministry would have posed a lot of problems,” Broomes stated.
Broomes said too, should there be a real issue of conflict of interest, she will not be responsible for the handling of the matter, as that lies with Minister of Natural Resources Raphael Trotman.
Additionally, the minister said she was not asked by any Government official to transfer her dredge to her children.
“My children are Guyanese, the Constitution says every Guyanese has a right to earn… to move an attack from me to my children… Why would one want to drag my children through the mud? My children have committed no crime,” she asserted.
Additionally, the Minister within the Ministry of Natural Resources said she worked as a miner all her life and struggled to achieve all she has. Minister Broomes noted that she has always been transparent and that will not change with her post as a minister of Government.
Broomes said functioning as a minister, while having devious people attempt to malign her character and integrity is not easy, but she will not give up.
“It is not an easy task, but I am committed. I am one of the female ministers that will stand tall and I will not buckle… I am in mining all my life, what are my children to do? Leave everything on the ground and flee?”
The minister said over the years she has suffered as a miner. Her children, she said, have recently restarted mining after years of challenges.
“We had to flee… there were gun attacks… we had to leave everything and flee… I suffered for activism,” said Minister Broomes, who was honoured by the United States Secretary of State John Kerry as one of the 2013 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report Heroes.
She called on those making allegations against her to educate themselves before making spurious claims.
“Persons have to read more, study more and understand more before they make statements, they are making wild statements,” she said.