FORMER APNU+AFC Minister of Public Telecommunications, Catherine Hughes has admitted that she had signed cheques for her company, and approved invoices sent to her ministry by the company.
Despite attempting to dance around the facts in the past, Hughes found herself unable to divert from reality while she was responding to questions in the High Court on Friday, September 6, 2024, during the libel case she brought against Vice-President Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo over a “low life” comment.
Hughes, who is a senior member of the Alliance For Change (AFC), faced a plethora of criticisms for her actions as Minister of Public Telecommunications; however, she could not sue anyone, because there was substantial evidence to prove her actions.
Specifically, she was asked why she didn’t sue Dr. Jagdeo for his comments on the issue regarding her company, to which she responded by saying she knew he possessed documents to substantiate his claims.
Hughes, in 2019, had denied the awarding of contracts to her company.
She went as far as to say: “…I was completely unaware of the award of any contract to Video Mega Productions.”
Hughes had claimed that she was informed that the contract was for the production of three 60-second television Public Service Announcements (PSAs)to the value of $832,200.
However, with the provision of supporting documents, this figure was later proved to be untrue, and a severe underestimation.
It was widely reported that Video Mega Productions Limited, secured contracts totalling over $6 million.
Hughes’ actions were seen as a clear conflict of interest, since she held a position of influence.
Her husband, Nigel Hughes, who is the Leader of the AFC, was also criticised recently for an apparent case of conflict of interest.
Dr. Jagdeo drew parallels between the actions of the renowned couple, noting that Nigel leads the AFC and represents ExxonMobil.
He stated, too, that the AFC Leader’s recent assertions about separating his business interests from his political role were reminiscent of Cathy Hughes’ past justifications, which he deemed deceptive.
He emphasised that such conflicts are not only unethical but also detrimental to national interests, accusing the AFC of prioritising personal gain over public service.
