-no decision yet on ministry position
Amid US sanctions over alleged corruption, Mae Toussaint Jr. Thomas-Meerabux, has resigned from the executive of the PPP/C, but her position as Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Labour remains up in the air.
“Mae has subsequently sent me a letter as General Secretary of the party, to resign from the Central Committee of the party. She has indicated that she did not want to bring the party into disrepute… she said ‘I’m available. I maintain my innocence and I’m available for any investigation,’” Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo told a press conference at the Office of the President yesterday.
He explained that Thomas’ resignation from the party was a hard blow as she is one of the hardest workers on the team and this was seen from her efforts during the 2020 Elections period and beyond.
“This is a hard thing because she is a tough worker. Those people who know her in the party know how hard she worked in the party,” he added.
Jagdeo said that as government investigates the allegations, Thomas “understands that she will have to face the consequences,” but he believes that her being caught up in the investigations and being sanctioned “is still unfortunate from a human perspective.”
On sanctioned businessman, Nazar Mohamed who serves as a PPP/C representative of the Eccles/Ramsburg NDC, Jagdeo said, “All the other agencies are looking at the implications and I guess the report will go to the President and the Cabinet to look at the implications, the other implications of the sanctions.”
He was however, quick to point out that because of the sensitivity of the financial sector and the global impacts sanctions can have, “the Central Bank had to move on it even before they completed the report.”
In October of 2020, Toussaint Jr Thomas-Meerabux was appointed Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs. She served there until last year, following the scandal that she had been pulled in by US Customs and Border Control and questioned and had her phone seized.
While in transit to China through the US, she was stopped for a secondary inspection at Miami International Airport and her cellphone seized. Her US visa was also revoked but news of the secondary inspection and visa revocation did not come from government, as it was only after this newspaper had reported it that government broke its silence. Sources close to the government had said that Toussaint Jr Thomas was carrying around the equivalent of US$9,000 when she was questioned by the authorities in the US. She then continued on to China.
When Toussaint Jr Thomas broke her silence weeks after the incident, she did not provide any significant details on why the United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) had taken her phone. She said that the phone was seized on April 8 and she was notified of her visa revocation two days later and pointed out that there was speculation regarding her stop.
“I wish to refer to speculation, both in the print and social media, about my interface recently with US immigration officials at Miami International Airport on April 8, 2023. Most of what has been reported is erroneous. I wish to clarify that I was referred for a ‘routine secondary check.’ There was a misunderstanding over my official cell phone without me being able to advise my officials. I advised that the cellphone be sent to the Minister of Home Affairs, Honorable Robeson Benn in Guyana,” Thomas had said in a statement.
“Thereafter, I was allowed the choice of entering the United States of America or continuing on my journey- which last I opted to so do. Subsequently, during my return journey I was advised that my US visa was revoked on the 10th April, 2023 and that I would have to make alternative arrangements to return to Guyana,” the statement added.
She said that she remained “open to engaging with US authorities on any possible travel arrangements to the USA in the future.”
Yesterday, Jagdeo was asked about what Thomas had told government when she returned from China and he said that she said that “they (US officials) asked her about the Mohameds.”
Asked if her relating the experience didn’t ‘flag’ any suspicions for government, he responded that her transfer to the Ministry of Labour was as a result of what was heard about investigations.
“It was precisely about that that she was moved from the Ministry of Home Affairs to Labour [the Ministry of Labour].
“At that time, there was no notification about any investigation. The government was not formally notified or that they would impose sanctions on the Mohameds. There were many people who were dealing with the Mohameds because at that time they were not sanctioned. There was no pending investigation of that nature for smuggled gold…,” he added.
He said that government did not go into detail with Thomas about the holdup and visa revocation but looked at a report on the matter. “Because of that she was moved from the Ministry of Home Affairs. The report I saw said they asked her about the Mohameds,” Jagdeo said.
Thomas was moved to the Ministry of Labour in August of last year, four months after the US had stopped her and revoked her visa.
On Tuesday, the US Treasury Department said that to conceal their illegal activity and operate with impunity, Azruddin Mohamed and Mohamed’s Enterprise engaged “in extensive bribery schemes involving government officials in Guyana.”
“This includes providing direct and recurring bribery payments to Guyanese government officials to ensure favorable treatment in criminal or civil matters that would otherwise suggest their involvement in illegal criminal activity. In return, corrupt officials receive cash and gifts for incidents that are overlooked. Additionally, Mohamed’s Enterprise has paid bribes to corrupt Guyanese government officials to facilitate the award of government contracts,” it added while naming Thomas.
“One such official, Mae Thomas, was the Permanent Secretary to Guyana’s Minister of Home Affairs from October 2020 through August 2023, and is the current Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Labour. A corrupt Permanent Secretary could manipulate procurement processes to suit their preferred bidder by providing inside information at the early stages of evaluation. Access to a Permanent Secretary of any Ministry could afford contractors insight into upcoming projects and bid values. Permanent Secretaries can act as the legal authority to sign contracts on behalf of their ministry,” the statement said.
Further, it added, “While Permanent Secretary to Guyana’s Minister of Home Affairs, Thomas used her position to offer benefits to Mohamed’s Enterprise and Azruddin, among others, in exchange for cash payments and high-value gifts. Thomas misused her position to influence the award of official contract bids and the approval processes for weapons permits and passports on behalf of Mohamed’s Enterprise.”
Toussaint Jr Thomas-Meerabux was the Permanent Secretary in 2021 at the time a $648 million contract was awarded to the Mohameds for the construction of the new Guyana Fire Service Headquarters on Home Stretch Avenue, in Georgetown and for one lot of construction at the Lusignan prison.
Jagdeo said that from local investigations he has asked to be done on procurement to the Mohameds, only those two contracts were awarded to the Mohameds since the PPP/C took office.
He added that the contracts were awarded through the public tendering process and were not given through single sourcing or handpicked selections, and that the Mohameds won based on that they were the most responsive bidder.
Concerning the Lusignan contract which had three lots, the Vice-President said that Mohamed’s company had the most responsive bids for all three but that a decision was taken to award the other two to two other contractors, because of capacity.
