Actions will be taken against parties involved in corrupt practices at GuyOil – Min Ashni Singh

Minister of Finance Dr Ashni Singh on Friday said that based on the findings of the probe, actions will be taken against all parties involved in malpractices on behalf of the Guyana Oil company (GuyOil).
“I don’t want to preempt the results of the audit, but in the event that any inappropriate practices are identified action will be taken,” he explained.
He made this statement after he confirmed that the Office of the Auditor General has commenced its probe into the allegations of a fuel racket at the oil company.
Singh explained that after the allegations were brought to his attention, he requested a meeting with the Board of Directors but the Board maintained that no contract was signed with Aaron Holdings and that the company was not involved in any unethical transactions.
Nevertheless, he said in keeping with the PPP/C Administration’s agenda of transparent transactions, he has ordered a probe into the matter.
“The Board repeatedly emphasised that there has been no contract with the company in question… The Board made that very clear to me. Notwithstanding that assurance, I wanted the Auditor General to still do an audit,” Minister Singh explained.
Moreover, the Minister lamented that the Government has zero tolerance for corrupt practices.

Reports had emerged earlier this week that businessman Jason Aaron of Aaron’s Royalty alleged officials at GuyOil contracted him to import fuel. However, Aaron claimed that after the company got a “sweeter” deal, the transaction was quashed.
However, GuyOil Chairman Paul Cheong subsequently denied the allegations made by Aaron. The Chairman noted that while GuyOil did have discussions with the company, the company was never contracted to bring in fuel.
Further, on April 21, Attorney-at-Law Dexter Todd, who is representing Aaron Royalty, related that he had dispatched a letter to GuyOil seeking clarification on a number of issues.
The lawyer told Guyana Times that his client needed clarification on who would take responsibility for the fuel that had already been procured.
“So, we have to determine, at the end of the day, who will be responsible for the fuel that is here… this oral agreement seems to have been performed by one party which is our client and there is some form of reneging because of whatever is their wrangle, I’m not too sure what exactly is the internal wrangling.”
This is likely a reference to former GuyOil General Manager Trevor Bassoo, who resigned from the company after he reportedly distributed printouts of a WhatsApp conversation between Aaron Royalty and a manager at the company.
In those messages, Bassoo was implicated in an alleged illegal transaction.