The contracted salary of the Chief Executive Officer of the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) before Sherwyn Greaves was $690,000 per month with the agreement noting that any other engagement or employment had to be with consent of the government.
“The person engaged undertakes that he will diligently and faithfully perform the duties of Chief Executive Officer for the term engaged, and will act in all respects according to the instructions or directions given to her by the government or other duly authorised officers. In this agreement the term “other duly authorised officers” shall mean the person(s) for the time acting on behalf of the government,” the contract for former CH&PA CEO Lelon Saul stated.
“The salary and benefits which shall accrue to the position of Chief Executive Officer is $690,000.00 per month on Band 15 with effect from the 1% day of March 2017, which shall be taxable.”
Saul was terminated in August 2020 after the PPP/C won the General and Regional elections. He had another contract which was renewed one day before the March 2nd elections, for three years, which he has since challenged in the courts. He said yesterday that his 2020 salary would have been equal to the 2017 contracted sum along with the increases given to public servants from 2017 to 2020, putting the figure “somewhere over $700,000”.
That contract, which he said was one similar to which Greaves would have had to sign also stated that the CEO should “not carry on, or be engaged in any other engagement/employment whatever either gratuitously or for reward on his own account, except with the written consent of the government.”
Greaves resigned on February 4th, asserting that all he owns he has worked for.
The departure of the former manager, who was fired from Republic Bank before being hired by CH&PA, came on the heels of businessman Terrence Campbell’s call to the United States Department of Justice to investigate his alleged purchase of a US $750,000 New York home from the family member of controversial businessman Edul ‘Ed’ Ahmad shortly before Ahmad was awarded a swathe of prime real estate land here.
In his resignation, Greaves did not address the question of the New York property. If it did indeed belong to him, questions would naturally arise over how it was obtained, whether it would fall into the category of expenditure beyond his means and whether the relevant declarations had been made to the Guyana Revenue Authority and the Integrity Commission.
In 2008 he was appointed as manager of Republic Bank’s Rose Hall office. The bank had said that he joined the staff in September 1990 and had gained a wealth of knowledge and experience in almost every aspect of its operations. It also noted that he holds a diploma in Banking from the Institute of Canadian Bankers.
In addition to salary at CH&PA, Greaves was entitled to 35 days annual leave, vacation allowance of one month’s salary after one calendar year of employment, payment of internet services, local telephone charges and approved official overseas calls. There was also a monthly entertainment allowance and an agency vehicle along with an assigned driver.
According to the contract, if the government wanted to dismiss him, it could “at any time determine the engagement” but not before giving him “one month’s notice of engagement in writing or paying one month’s salary in lieu of such notice, in any other circumstance.
“The person engaged may at any time after the expiration of one month from the commencement of the term of engagement determine the end of the engagement by giving to the government one month’s notice in writing or one month’s in lieu of such notice. In the event of any pecuniary damage arising from the person engaged disregarding or failing to comply with any order, or departmental instructions, or from any neglect of duty whatsoever on his part, he may be liable to a deduction thereof, the amount of which shall be fixed by the government.”
CH&PA Board member Sharma Solomon told this newspaper that the board is likely to discuss Greaves’ abrupt resignation this week. Solomon pointed out that the CEO was an ex-officio member and his insights and recommendations were helpful in the board’s decisions. No replacement, according to Solomon, has yet been named, as he pointed out that he wanted reflections of what he said to be from a personal stance, as CH&PA Chairman Emmanuel Cummings would speak officially for the board.
“The issue is something that the board should find a matter of interest, whether to pursue an investigation or understanding what are some of implications it could have for operations at the agency… to have a CEO resigning like this, the board should be concerned about the resignation,” Solomon told the Sunday Stabroek, noting that “as a responsible member, I am concerned.
“I think the entire menu of issues relating to the resignation should [be examined]. The CEO is saying it’s personal, and that is okay. But that does not take away the allegations that would have resulted in him taking such actions. Those are allegations that should be of interest to the board, whether right or wrong. This is so that the public is aware that the issue of land distribution and land management is taken seriously [by the board] and that they are confident of how it is being managed.”
Cummings is yet to pronounce on the matter and since the issue was raised with Greaves tendering his resignation, and admitting to purchasing the home, he has been silent and efforts to contact him have proven futile.
President Irfaan Ali has also not said anything on the issue regarding Greaves but has made a general statement on the land award process.
Ahmad too has been silent and has not defended his land-for-development purchase or if he had any role or influence in Greaves’ purchase of the New York property from his son.
