MR GHK Lall has sent a legal letter to “Guyanese Critic” with the intention of filing a libel writ. The indictments against Azruddin Mohamed and his father in a US court with an impending trial have put the Gold Board into focus. Since Mr GHK Lall was head of the Gold Board at a time when, according to the US indictments, the Mohameds were engaged in tax evasion, Mr Lall has some explanations.

One would like to think that Mr Lall did not issue his threat of libel to scare people off from demanding answers from him. If he did, he would be silly to think that Demerara Waves quotes Vice-President Jagdeo as calling for an investigation of people at the Gold Board during the reign of the Mohameds and Mr Jagdeo mentioned Lall’s name.

The intention to sue “Guyanese Critic” is not going to deter citizens from discussing Mr Lall’s time at the Gold Board. I have no proof of any wrongdoing of Lall at the Gold Board, so I am going to refrain from hurling accusations. But I will not refrain from asking him questions that the public needs to have answers for.

I endorse the sentiments of Mr Jagdeo that there should be a GRA and police investigation of Gold Board officials and I don’t see why the investigation should not include Mr Lall. He may have done nothing wrong, but if you are going to investigate, then as head of the Gold Board, how can Mr Lall escape police questioning?

The Mohamed gold scandal has riveted the nation and Mr Lall would be extremely stupid to think that, as chairman of the Gold Board, Guyanese are not going to ask for explanations from him. You don’t have to accuse Lall of any infraction or indiscretion, or criminal violation. He may have done nothing improper, but that is not the point.

The compelling reason for him to offer explanations to the Guyanese people is that he was chairman of the Gold Board at a time when, according to the US court documents, Mohamed began his alleged criminal enterprise.

Since the OFAC sanctions on the Mohameds, Lall has not found it obligatory to discuss his time at the helm of the Gold Board. This is unacceptable from a man who has five forums in which he relentlessly attacks the government of being corrupt. The forums are a daily column with the Kaieteur News; a daily contribution to the Stabroek News’ letter pages; weekly columns with Demerara Waves; a weekly column with the Village Voice and weekly commentaries on Kaieteur News Radio.

Is Mr Lall a sanctimonious hypocrite? He made and makes hundreds of accusations against the government, including lack of transparency and accountability, but he does not make himself accountable to the Guyanese people. It is simply obnoxious that this man can churn out a voluminous amount of criticisms against the government on five media platforms, but is just totally silent on his tenure at the Gold Board.

Here are pertinent questions for Mr. Lall: how did the appointment as Gold Board chairman come about? Did he apply? Before he became chairman under the APNU+AFC government, the position was advertised. The two competing names were Ms Lisavette Ramotar and Yog Mahadeo. The former won out.

If the post was not advertised, then who facilitated Mr Lall to become chairman?  Was it an arrangement with the APNU half of the government or the AFC? Did Mr Lall interface with Azruddin Mohamed? If no, did he know about the large volumes of gold Mr Mohamed was exporting? If no, then what was in his annual report?

How could Mr Lall not know who the large gold exporters were when those names have to be in his annual reports?  Did any staff member ever bring it to the attention of Mr Lall that his staff was collaborating with the Mohameds? If yes, did he include those revelations in his annual reports? Did Mr Lall ever convey to the then Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman, that huge gold miners were engaged in tax evasion?

If the answer is no, then what the hell did Mr Lall know during his tenure as head of the Gold Board? A person is entitled to say if they believe what a public figure said. I do not believe Mr. Lall if he tells the public he did not know Azruddin. How is that possible when Mohamed was the country’s largest gold exporter and Lall was chairman of the Gold Board? Finally, on an unrelated matter, but which involves accountability on the part of Lall, could he tell the Guyanese people if he is a big investor in Demerara Waves, or if he is the owner?

DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Guyana National Newspapers Limited.