Dear Editor
Chartered Accountant Christopher Ram, to the surprise of no one, was true to form, trying to embellish his non-partisan credentials by attempting to chair a large gathering of 25 persons at a so-called civil society meeting at City Hall last week.
He lost all claim to being non-partisan by being a co-author of the manifesto of the People’s National Congress Reform for the 2006 general elections. He has not disavowed his connections with that party and cannot pretend he is a member of civil society which by definition and practice is supposed to be above partisan politics.
One wonders what will now happen with his firm’s affiliation with the Ernst and Young company?
If Ram felt so strongly about justice as he claimed at the civil society forum at City Hall, he would not have prevented the some 3,000 small depositors of the Globe Trust and Investment Company Limited from getting their money back when it was being liquidated in 2002. After the Government of Guyana sought the liquidation of Globe Trust, Ram, representing the directors in the court case, blocked the liquidation of the firm, thereby frustrating payments to the depositors.
Yours faithfully,
Troy Tyrell
Editor’s note
We sent a copy of this letter to Mr Christopher Ram for any comments he might have wished to make and received the following response:
“It is remarkable that a letter so short can be riddled with so many inaccuracies. For that reason only do I respond.
“1. 64 persons signed the attendance sheet at the forum giving their name, organisation, telephone number and email address. The name Troy Tyrell is not on that list.
“2. It was I who wrote in the media that I had been consulted by major parties including the PNCR on their 2006 elections manifestos, which of course set out proposed policies. I was specifically asked by the PPP/C to offer ideas on taxation. Does this make me affiliated to that party too?
“3. I appreciate Mr Tyrell’s concern for our firm, but here too he is way off the truth. Ram & McRae is an independent local firm and is not affiliated to any international “company.”
“4. Globe Trust was not liquidated in 2002. In fact it is still in liquidation. I was an account holder who along with Professor Clive Thomas made a case on behalf of the shareholders and depositors for the reorganisation instead of the liquidation of the company.
“5. As far as small depositors getting their money back is concerned, Mr Tyrell should ask President Jagdeo what legal obstacle prevents him from honouring that commitment he publicly made.
“Mr Tyrell may find evidence under oath about the alleged complicity of the Government of Guyana with a confessed drug lord as something to politicise and trivialise. I do not.”
