Van West-Charles let go as GWI Head – new Housing Minister

…6 other political appointees sent off

Managing Director of the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI), Dr Richard Van West-Charles has been relieved of his duties and asked to proceed on leave until October 29, 2020, according to the new Minister of Housing and Water Collin Croal.

Croal, during a telephone interview with Guyana Times on Monday, related that Chair of the GWI Board, Dr Garvin Cummings has written to Van West-Charles instructing him to proceed on his accumulated leave. Additionally, he was instructed to hand over all property and records belonging to GWI in his possession.
When asked for the rationale behind the firing of Van West-Charles, Croal related that the Ministry is heading in another direction and it is in keeping with the restructuring and vision of the new People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government.
He noted that Van West-Charles’ contract would come to an end in October of 2021.
Back in June, Van West-Charles – son in law of the late LFS Burnham – joined the APNU/AFC coalition in calling for the March 2 General and Regional Elections to be scrapped following irregularities. Van West-Charles was appointed CEO of GWI on October 1, 2015.
Minister Croal further related he also had to relieve six other employees of his Ministry because of the political nature of their appointment. He noted that the staffers – Communications Officer Andrew Weekes, Technical Assistant Remington Nelson, Personal Assistant Leon Castello, Confidential Secretary Sandra Booker, Personal Security Nelson Inniss and Advisor to the Minister Carmichael Thorne – were all political appointees in the Minister’s Secretariat.

“We are doing realigning and we are also shaping the Ministry in the direction we would want to do it. Every department is being reviewed and so obviously at the Secretariat myself and Minister (Susan) Rodrigues, we need to be comfortable with our Secretariat to function,” he explained.

He added that Weekes had been campaigning for the APNU/AFC coalition and was employed as Communications Officer in spite of the Ministry having a Public Relations Department with one Public Relations Officer and two assistants.
Weekes was brought on board by then Housing Minister Annette Ferguson in January and given a contract for one year. He was being paid some $203,202 with a $15,000 allowance. According to the new Minister, there is no evidence of Weekes doing any work for the Ministry. (G2)