Opposition Parliamentarian Annette Ferguson is appealing to the government to launch an investigation into the abrupt resignation of Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) Head Sherwyn Greaves after allegations of corruption were levelled against him.
She is also calling on the Integrity Commission and Greaves to say if he filed the requisite returns and for him to say if his Guyana Revenue Authority filings reflect his true earnings.
Ferguson, a former minister in the Ministry of Public Works, related that Greaves was interviewed for the position of Chief Executive Officer at CH&PA and had told then chairman Hamilton Green that he wanted to change his job portfolio because he was interested in the housing sector.
“I will continue to add my voice and call on the government to act swiftly in investigating the actions committed by Mr Sherwin Greaves. It is unacceptable for Guyanese to be comfortable with a resignation, and the matter die a natural death!” Ferguson said in a letter to the editor published yesterday.
“Why [are] [Vice President Bharrat] Jagdeo [and] [President Irfaan] Ali reluctant to act?” she questioned.
Ferguson raised concerns about why Greaves would resign based on an allegation without subjecting himself to an investigation that could exonerate him.
“To say that one’s resignation is purely a personal choice and in no way an admission of guilt, is a cause for concern, and as a Guyanese, I feel insulted when issues or matters of public importance are not fully investigated…,” she wrote.
She noted that though Greaves did not secure the position after his first interview, he was subsequently successful.
That being the case, she questioned “… 1.When was the position of CEO-CHPA advertised in 2020? 2. How many persons applied? 3. When and where was the interview conducted, and by whom? 4. Was due diligence done on applicants?”
It is also unclear if Greaves, who was terminated by Republic Bank, had submitted a recommendation from his past employer.
Greaves’ cumulative salary, allowances and other benefits up to when he left last month totaled more than $1.4 million, sources have explained and nearly $1 million was in salary.
In 2017, the salary of the CH&PA head was $690,000 per month on Band 15. It would have risen in tandem with increases to public servants salaries over the past seven years. Under the current administration, increases from 2020 to last year totalled 39%.
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”.
It is unclear if with Greaves resignation he will be given all of his contracted benefits including gratuity.
Greaves resigned on February 4th, asserting that all he owns he has worked for.
His departure 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 a 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.
CH&PA Board member Sharma Solomon had told this newspaper that the board was “likely to discuss Greaves’ abrupt resignation” this week when it met. Solomon had 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. He had also stated 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 had said, 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.
