Former Prime Minister Samuel Hinds was called to the witness stand once again yesterday to testify at the trial of Carvil Duncan, the former board director accused of stealing from the Guyana Power and Light Inc (GPL).
Hinds gave evidence last month and yesterday he was subjected to cross-examination by Duncan’s lawyer, Charles Ramson Jr.
Duncan is facing charges that he and another, on March 31, 2015, at Georgetown, conspired to steal $984,900, which was property of GPL; that on March 31, he stole $984,900 from GPL; and that he, along with another conspired to steal $27,757,547 between May 7 and May 8, 2015, property of GPL.
The charges against him stem from payments that were made by himself and Aeshwar Deonarine in their names and which were uncovered by a forensic audit that was commissioned after the APNU+AFC government entered office last year. The money allegedly stolen by Duncan represents retroactive payments for his time on the GPL Board.
Ramson’s line of questioning focused on the role of the former Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Presidential Secretariat Roger Luncheon and his relationship with former GPL Board Chairman Winston Brassington.
When asked whether he had any knowledge of Brassington raising the issue of retroactive payments before Cabinet, he related that the issue of arrears was raised generally with Cabinet and the Head of Presidential Secretariat.
He stated that he did not recall payments being made retroactive to Duncan in the sum of $984,900, nor was he aware of Cabinet approving the sum. He did, however, accept that approval could have been given either orally or in writing, as decisions are not always made in writing.
It was also his position that the Chairman of GPL’s board had the authority to make many decisions and he noted that many decisions were made without his (Hinds’) knowledge.
Hinds agreed with Ramson’s suggestion that Brassington had shared a direct relationship with Luncheon, who the witness later admitted under questioning “was a very strong and powerful person.” This had been in response to Ramson’s inquiry as to whether it would be correct to state that Luncheon had “formidable power and responsibility.” Hinds had admitted that the Cabinet Secretary was the voice of the President, and so had more powers and responsibilities than the ministers.
Following in this vein, Hinds was asked whether it was the “stated cabinet position that cabinet members were expected to comply with directives given by the Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Luncheon as though they came from the President,” to which Hinds responded that he didn’t think so, although the secretary did “carry a lot of weight.”
Hinds further related that he found it a fair position to say that the only person authorised to overrule the authority of the Cabinet Secretary would be the president himself.
Re-examination was declined by the prosecution, Shevon Jupiter and Kevin London.
Also making a reappearance yesterday was Kedarnauth Bejaimal, Assistant Superintendent of Police, who led evidence on the cheque paid to Duncan in the sum of $984,900. He will face further examination next Wednesday, August 17th, when other witnesses are also expected to be cross-examined.
Duncan had told Stabroek News that he was paid fees owed to him for some six years since the company had not paid its board members, during which time they were forced to use their own money for transportation and other expenses.
In relation to Deonarine, the money allegedly stolen represents a retroactive salary hike for the period January 2013 to June 2015, that he transferred to himself and which Minister of Public Infrastructure David Patterson said had not been approved by the board.
He allegedly transferred the sum with the help of Duncan, who was one of the signatories to the company’s bank accounts. Duncan had told this newspaper that he believed the board approved the retroactive payment to Deonarine.
