[www.inewsguyana.com] – Corruption watchdog – Transparency Institute Guyana Inc (TIGI) – wants the APNU+AFC government to take action against the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Guyana Power and Light Company, Colin Welch.
Recently, Welch was implicated in irregularities involving the procurement of prepaid meters worth US$4M by the power company.
Mr. Welch is reported to have communicated with members of a bidding party and more specifically, a supplier and manufacturer of the items subject to the procurement process.
The organization in a press statement on Tuesday, December 22, 2015 noted that according to reports, the CEO sought to promote the submission of documents falsely claiming that the manufacturer had historically met the purchasing requirements and therefore possesses the experience in the manufacture of the item, tipping the scale in this supplier’s favour.
As such, “TIGI denounces the cavalier treatment by the Government of this matter where instead of a thorough investigation in the face of allegations against a sitting CEO, the matter is instead quashed which appears to have the effect of averting in-depth investigation, and giving the CEO the chance to correct himself in future, if not completely absolve him from any consequences of his actions.”
According to the statement, “TIGI feels that this matter has not been treated with the gravity that has been meted out to other government officials facing allegations of corruption.”
The statement further noted, “Troublingly, the Minister, in aborting this tender on the basis that it started under the PPP, fails to appreciate that an illegal act is still illegal regardless of when it is committed or its origin. TIGI is further dissatisfied that the Director of Public Information, in a press statement said that “Minister Patterson… instructed an independent review of the complaints. All of the main complaints were found to be invalid” since no information is given on who constituted the investigation team, nor any assurance of a transparent investigation having taken place.”
According to TIGI, “GPL is a major public entity and the Minister must understand that transparency is expected of and from him as proper conduct is expected from the CEO. TIGI therefore calls on the Minister to disclose to the public the report on the investigations so that the public can decide whether or not an independent review is required.”
TIGI pointed out that under the new government, senior officials have been sent on leave, in many cases without conformance to due process, on which TIGI has voiced its disapproval in the past.
“This is as good a case as any, for the individual to be sent on leave to facilitate an investigation but instead the public is being told that the future of Welch with the power company will be determined by the new Board. TIGI expects consistency from the Government and places on record our grave concern at the lack of urgency being demonstrated.”
Whether Welch is guilty or innocent will be proven in due course. He has said that his name is spelt incorrectly in the e-mail exchanges.Surely this must arouse suspicions. We will know the truth before long.
I am sensing the involvement of former executive managers in this issue. They are probably in contact with some current executives and other staff. With the amount of money one was (over)paid and the amount stolen by the other they are more than equipped to ‘motivate’ transparency enthusiasts (at a personal level), to have a go at Welch.
Williams you have hit the nail right in the middle. The conspiracy is alive within GPL. But the truth will present itself very soon and heads at the executive level who are part of the conspiracy will roll. They are so wicked that they are trying to set the stage to plant doubt in the minds of those who will be elected as GPL board members. Their corrupt behaviours were upstage by Welch so by any means possible they are trying to destroy him. It is really a scary situation because he has to watch out before they go after his blood.
We can’t talk of transparency when someone from the incumbent party or ethnicity commit a crime, we will do all we can to protect him or her, we must respect the rule of law, if the evidence shows culpable, the course of action must be taken.
For APNU is it not what you know is whom you know–qualification sir? Member of APNU and a brother too.
He was hired by the PPP remember? This should tell you quite a bit about the man. He saw that corruption was the order of the day so he became a willing participant. He either became aculturated or he was hired for certain corrupt skills.
Wasn’t this CEO employed when the PPP was the party in the administration? Isn’t this the man who went head to head with the former CEO and exposed all the irregularities that transpired before he got there? Something stinks here and it is not Welch. I do not know his political affiliations but he was hired by the PPP administration and then exposed their golden boy. Is this a frame up for exposing the corrupt practices at GPL, like he claims. I tend to believe him a lot more than i believe his accusers. It is ironic that the transparency institute was content with 23 years of noon-transparency and in the last six months they know so much about the word that they now want the govt to tell who is investigating this incident that seems to have materialized from thin air. WHAT A COUNTRY WE LIVE IN,
Transparency Institute wants action taken against GPL’s CEO
TIGI reallt cant say what they really want to say…
TIGI knows PNC capabalities in dealing with the TIGIs of Guyana.
To this day the so called independent free press cant ask PNC any hard questions.
Take a look at SN- used to be the crime rag media- looks like church people running SN since PNC came to power.
Look at KN- they still pleting lash on PPP every day 10 times a day but dare not touch PNC any any thing wrong PNC do.
madmaxx the racist capharbhundhar crablouse knows this too well
Patterson and Welch should both be fired!
This man should be fired and jailed! Van West at GWI should be fired too for hiring his friends for top posts.
In the words of a great singer. “It’s only just begun”. Guyana got plenty more like this brewing under this defacto government.
THE ONLY ACTION THE GOVERNMENT WILL TAKE AGAINST WELCH IS THE BURNHAM- LIKE ACTION – TRANSFER AND PROMOTION !
He should be sent on leave and have an investigation done
The minister clearly is incapable of managing his agency and has demonstrated the malaise in this administration which is simple: people (ministers) with no technical or administrative skills and abilities.
TIGI finally you are speaking up to the PNC
He is a member of the APNU clan–so he will not be touched–remember he is WELCH he can’t do the job so blame the PPP for this fool incompetence–welcome to the PNC world.