Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton yesterday waded into the government for what he believes is an attempt to absolve itself from its responsibilities in the ExxonMobil audit sums reduction from US$214 million to US$3 million, saying they have instead thrown a public servant “under the bus.”
“It is evident to all who want to think, that Mr (Gopnauth) Gossai who I don’t know, don’t know his political allegiance or don’t care either [did this]…what I do know is that the government is throwing him under the bus to protect the political directorate that has responsibility to ensure a proper that audit is done,” Norton yesterday told a press conference.
“This is dealing with what we will get as profits. That surely cannot be left to a public servant. It has to be the responsibility of the political government. The public servants give technical and other support. So to blame Mr. Gossai really and truly is throwing him under the bus,” he stressed.
Gossai has been blamed for the audit fiasco where US$214 million in disputed oil expenses was slashed to US$3 million and he is to be disciplined, a statement released by Minister of Natural Resources on Thursday night said. The minister made known the government’s position after hours earlier, submitting to Cabinet a report on his ministry entering into direct negotiations with ExxonMobil to reduce US$214 million in questionable cost oil claims flagged by UK audit firm IHS Markit to US$3 million.
Stabroek News yesterday reached out to Gossai who is currently pursuing studies in Scotland and he said that he had no immediate comments. “I have no formal comment at this time,” Gossai said.
This newspaper understands that Gossai was asked by Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat, to prepare a report into the circumstances leading up to the discussions between the Ministry of Natural Resources and ExxonMobil, which he did.
The Stabroek News was told by sources that at one point during the discussions with the United States oil major, the Ministry of Natural Resources had asked the Guyana Revenue Authority to be part of the discussions and the GRA declined.
Norton yesterday contended that to the logical mind it would be difficult to conceptualise that after government would have defended the sloth in the IHS Markit audit being made public and for the Vice President to announce the reductions, for government not to know what was internally happening.
“This is an audit report that has been there for years. It was when Stabroek News put it out there and the Opposition started to engage, that the government actually acknowledged its existence and therefore they knew full well what was there. To come now and tell us that some public servant named Gossai is responsible is ridiculous. It is an attempt to hide the corruption”, he contended.
“All of the evidence points to this being political machinations and not the error of a public servant!”, he thundered.
For his part, Opposition Member of Parliament Ganesh Mahipaul pointed to Public Service rules as he reasoned that the country knows that public servants have to seek approval of their superiors before undertaking any major actions, more so a financial one that involves billions of dollars.
Let us assume the public servant made a mistake. Why didn’t you, in the first case, indicate that it was a public servant mistake? Why is it you were contending to the contrary and then suddenly when you recognize that you were exposed you throw it at a public servant.
“With the Public Service system that exists, he could not have acted in isolation. “It had to be with the knowledge of the Permanent Secretary that all of this is happening…,” Mahipaul said.
He noted that the Minister of Natural Resources statement contradicts itself as he had said that there had been meetings with him the Vice President and Gossai. “If the GRA is the final body on the issue, why was Bharrat Jagdeo and Vickram Bharrat engaged in a meeting with Mr. Gossai?” he questioned while reading excerpts from the statement. “Both Bharrats, they knew what was happening at the level of the Ministry of Natural Resources. If you knew as you claim that the GRA has the final pronouncements, why were you not engaging the GRA?” Mahipaul questioned.
“Why were you engaging Mr. Gossai?” Norton added as he said that those among many other questions are still left unanswered.
While assigning blame, Bharrat’s statement will raise more questions. The government had promised an investigation into the illegal engagement between the Ministry and ExxonMobil to whittle down the disputed costs. No independent investigation was done and it appears that Bharrat – who himself should have been a subject of the inquiry – presided over the probe.
Second, Bharrat’s statement does not address what further investigation should now be conducted since Gossai has been accused of the illegal engagement with ExxonMobil. Ordinarily the matter could be referred to the police for investigation and/or to the Integrity Commission. The statement was however silent on this.
Third, the role that ExxonMobil might have played in inviting the reduction of the disputed figure is still to be determined and it appears from last night’s statement from the ministry that there is no interest in this.
Observers say that the shenanigans over the disputed costs will cast a dim light over the government’s handling of the oil and gas sector and how it accounts for profit flowing from it.
In the statement which he also broadcast on social media, Bharrat said: “… after examining all the facts it is clear that Mr. Gossai acted without the requisite authorization to engage EEPGL (ExxonMobil’s subsidiary) and provided inadequate advice and as such, I have asked the Permanent Secretary to take the necessary disciplinary measures,” the minister said. He did not say what form such action would take.
