…new board likely to extend probation

…not yet cleared to resume duty

ALLIANCE FOR CHANGE (AFC) Leader, Raphael Trotman, has supported the decision of Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo to rescind the dismissal of Sherod Duncan as general manager of the Guyana National Newspaper Limited (GNNL), contending that the dismissal was too harsh a penalty.

Guyana Chronicle was told that, in keeping with recommendations by some of the remaining board of directors, Duncan could still face some form of sanction, including an extension of his probation. He is also not yet cleared to resume duties as the instruction to rescind his dismissal has not been acted upon.

“The prime minister gave an instruction to the board… the board has to meet and act on that instruction and the board has not met. So Mr Duncan cannot show up for work just yet,” well-placed sources told Guyana Chronicle.

Duncan showed up to work on Thursday briefly but did not perform any task neither did he meet with staff. Meanwhile, weighing-in on the matter, Trotman told the media on Wednesday that he did not agree with the dismissal of Duncan.

“I had seen the audit reports, quite frankly, and I thought that while they may have been some breaches, they were not breaches in terms of theft of monies. There might have been some circumvention of some systems and I thought that Mr. Duncan, being off the job for several months, perhaps a reprimand or some form of discipline [would have been best]. I found that dismissal was the harsher side of the penalties,” Trotman said.

His remarks, made to the media on Wednesday, came on the heels of the instruction of Prime Minster Moses Nagamootoo, which was made public on Tuesday.

Months ago, the prime minister had ordered a full investigation into mismanagement at the GNNL under Duncan’s tenure as general manager between June 1, 2018 and September 10, 2018.

The call for an investigation came after Duncan had dismissed Financial Controller Moshamie Ramotar when the company’s financial documents made its way to the media.

The information raised questions about Duncan’s spending and he was eventually sent on administrative leave, pending the outcome of the audit.

DISMISSAL

In April 2019, GNNL Board of Directors stated that it took a majority decision to dismiss Duncan after an audit report found over 20 transactions that did not follow financial regulations.

However, a letter from the prime minister dated May 31, 2019 to Chairman of the Board, Attorney-at-Law Geeta Chandan-Edmond, stated that he had received information from directors of GNNL that there was no vote put for the dismissal of Duncan.

“It must be clear that asking members of the board their views on a situation does not amount to a vote,” the prime minister stated in his letter.

He added: “I am concerned that you have misled the office of the prime minister with the erroneous claim that the board of directors came to this decision. It is clear that you deliberately sought to terminate Mr. Duncan which did not accord with due process and procedural fairness, and I instruct that that decision be rescinded.”

As a result of his instructions, board members Chairman Geeta Chandan-Edmond, Mervyn Williams and Hilbert Foster have since tendered their resignation.

Chandan-Edmond, in submitting her resignation on June 4, 2019 to the prime minister, defended her actions as just.

“I exercised my right to execute a casting vote, in keeping with provision 94 as was recorded in and verified in the minutes of the proceedings. Additionally, I wish to state that I rely on my report to you into this matter and reiterate, that the process was fair and transparent, there was due process and all principles of natural justices were adhered to,” the former chairperson stated.

SEEKING CLARIFICATION

Trotman told the media on Wednesday that he has since made contact with the prime minister seeking further clarification on the matter.

Nagamootoo has been in New York engaging the diaspora on several topics.

“He and I have communicated,” Trotman stated, adding: “I’ve sought some clarifications from him. I did, personally, feel that the process with Mr. Duncan could have gone or should have gone another way but it is for the prime minster to say exactly why he did what he did.”

The AFC leader also reminded that, in this situation, he is only an observer.

He stated that while he may have his opinions, it is ultimately up to those directly involved in the matter, who are best able to justify the decision.

“I believe we want good, transparent, open government in Guyana and I would expect that this matter would be dealt with decisively and in a manner that the public feels confident and satisfied with,” Trotman said.

He continued: “I will await the prime minister’s return so that he could say definitively what is expected and why he did what he did but I am not a member of the board; I am not the Chairman [of the board] or member of staff and neither am I the prime minister and I think those are the persons who can better speak to what happened.”