Former Auditor General Anand Goolsarran says that both Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo and Minister of Natural Resources Vickram Bharrat have explaining to do in relation to the scandalous reduction in disputed oil audit costs from US$214m to US$3m which has seen blame being cast in several directions.
Jagdeo on Thursday told a press conference that President Irfaan Ali has ordered a swift probe of who in the Ministry of Natural Resources engaged in illicit talks with ExxonMobil to cut the figure but up to yesterday there was no word from Ali’s office on who would be investigating and the timeframe.
Goolsarran told the Sunday Stabroek that it was perplexing that Jagdeo had announced that the sums were reduced to US$11 million only to then say that he did not know that unauthorized persons at the ministry had entered into discussions with ExxonMobil. He said that the Vice President has always had his pulse on all matters relating to governance and finance of the country.