– a multi-head sub-committee appointed to manage the day-to-day operations of a company as GM resigns
The SENIOR Minister is in the President’s Office with responsibility for Finance, Ashni Singh, has asked the Office of the Auditor General to be called in to conduct an urgent inquiry into an issue relating to the purchase of fuel by Guyana Oil Company Limited (GuyOil) from a company called Aaron Realty Inc. (ARI).
According to reports, ARI’s owner, a fuel dealer, has claimed that he now has a large amount of fuel on hand after alleged engagements by senior GuyOil officials that the company would buy. The dealer claims to have evidence of commitments from company officials to purchase its fuel.
After reports of the scandal appeared in the media departments on Tuesday, GuyOil General Manager Trevor Bassoo tendered his resignation to the company’s Board of Directors, forcing them to appoint a temporary sub-committee to manage his day to day. operations.
In acknowledging the situation at GuyOil, Dr. Singh The company’s Board of Directors, chaired by Paul Cheong, attended an emergency meeting at its Main Street office.
During this meeting, the Board of Directors stated that there is no contract with Aaron Realty Inc. to supply fuel to GuyOil. The board also outlined to the minister the procedures to be followed by the company in relation to fuel procurement. In a separate statement following the meeting with Dr. Singh, GuyOil listed the pre-requisite procedures in place and practical, which the company follows when procuring fuel from any company. Those prerequisites include competitive procurement, supplier due diligence, purchase order / contract, nominated quantity sent to supplier with expected delivery date, certificate of quality / compliance with technical specification, proforma invoice required for Guyana Finance Authority (GRA) to authorize the unloading of any fuel from the supplier’s ship, and a signed certificate of origin / declaration that the product did not come from an embargoed country.
Also, prerequisites include the details of the ship to be used, document Q88; a detailed report from an independent inspector on loading the ship; rating bill for the loaded ship and ship updates on estimated arrival time. “GuyOil wants to make it clear that while ARI is one of a number of companies in which GuyOil has had discussions on potential fuel supply, GuyOil has not, at any time, entered into a contract with ARI,” related. Although the company confirmed his innocence, Dr. Singh for inviting the Office of the Auditor General to conduct an urgent investigation into the matter, which is the subject of allegations. Minister Singh, during the meeting, emphasized the need for the company to act in accordance with the established laws and procedures in accordance with good governance, accountability and transparency.
He reinforced the point that a Board of Directors was appointed to protect the interest of the Government and the people of Guyana and what it expects of all State entities. On this note, he reiterated that his government will not tolerate any form of illegal practices.
Although they did not respond directly to the minister, GuyOil’s Board of Directors, prior to investigating the recent allegations, assured the public that the company will always operate in accordance with the Guyana Laws and best practices as it relates to conduct its business.
For this reason the company has appointed a sub-committee of the board to oversee its day-to-day operations and lead the search for a new General Manager.
Although Bassoo resigned from the post, he said, in a Facebook post, that his friends, family and wise men should not be misled by ‘propaganda.’
Before official reports of his resignation, reports were circulating on social media about Bassoo being sent on administrative leave in light of alleged corruption at GuyOil.
“I would like to point out that is CONTENT. I would also like to advise that I have chosen and submitted my resignation to the Chairman and Board of Directors, ”he said.
The former General Manager further added: “I intend to seek legal advice after which I will provide more information.”
Bassoo was appointed to the position of General Manager of GuyOil in October 2020, replacing Renatha Exeter, who had resigned from the company.