“current attempts to sell 67 per cent of the taxpayer-funded Marriott Hotel to a secret investor for US$8M, clearly shows the continuing lack of transparency and behind the door secret deals involving Brassington and unknown investors”.
According to Harmon, the financing structure of the Marriott Hotel represents a fleecing of Guyana, given that NICIL, which is wholly owned by the state, has already spent US$20M on the project and will only own 33 per cent.

APNU says…Interdict Winston Brassington

October 4, 2013 | By KNews | Filed Under News 

 

…MP calls for halt to sale of Marriott shares

A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) wants Winston Brassington interdicted from all state board and entities.
Shadow Minister with responsibility for Public Works, Joseph Harmon, yesterday issued the opposition edict, and called for the personal assets of Brassington, the members of the board of National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) as well as all others in public office that are connected to the entity, to be investigated by a credible integrity commission.
Harmon was at the time speaking at a special media briefing held at the Office of the Leader of the Opposition, to address the controversies that currently envelope the Georgetown Marriott Hotel.

Winston Brassington

The APNU Member of Parliament told media operatives that “current attempts to sell 67 per cent of the taxpayer-funded Marriott Hotel to a secret investor for US$8M, clearly shows the continuing lack of transparency and behind the door secret deals involving Brassington and unknown investors”.
According to Harmon, the financing structure of the Marriott Hotel represents a fleecing of Guyana, given that NICIL, which is wholly owned by the state, has already spent US$20M on the project and will only own 33 per cent.
During a recent press briefing, Brassington told media operatives that Atlantic Hotel Inc is the 100 per cent owner of the project. Ownership, he explained, comes in the form of equity investment totaling US$12M and the remainder of the money for the project comes from loans.
He said NICILwould be putting in a loan of US$15.5M, while Republic Bank has been asked to syndicate another US$31M.
As it relates to the ownership of AHI, Brassington said NICIL will invest as an equity partner US$4M, while the unnamed investor will put in US$8M. They will therefore own, respectively, 33 per cent and 67 per cent shareholding in the project.
Harmon said that “in total contempt for the Guyanese nation, disclosure is yet to be made of the investors, their profile, source of funds, amount offered, payments and other arrangements.”      “There is, undoubtedly, intent to hoodwink the nation in the way this project has been configured.”
Harmon said, too, that APNU is demanding an urgent audit of all expenditure and commitments on the Marriott Hotel before any such sale of the shares in Atlantic Hotel Inc.
The majority bloc of the opposition also wants the project reviewed by the Public Accounts Committee of the National Assembly.
In issuing the warning, Harmon said, “All investors, including any banks, are now put on notice that the APNU considers this project as lacking economic justification, without Parliamentary approval and as presently configured, not in the best interest of Guyanese.”
He added that the land that was transferred by NICIL to AHI for the hotel under a long term lease, is the property of the state and is also currently under litigation in Court.

APNU’s Joseph Harmon

According to Harmon, with Brassington at the centre of all such deals, his chairmanship of the Guyana Power and Light and as head of NICIL through which the revenues of state companies are directed, along with the sale of state assets to a close circle of friends of the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C), “it is incumbent on President Donald Ramotar’s administration to carry out the forensic audit of NICIL demanded by Parliament.
“Parliament has already approved a motion demanding a full forensic audit of NICIL and we are insisting that this be done without delay.”
Given the public position now stated by APNU, Harmon said that the unnamed investor cannot now claim to not know of the opposition’s stance on the project. He is adamant that the President must now act, given that Brassington is not a Member of Parliament or an elected representative of the Government.
“What we are doing now, we are taking it to another level…We are informing the investor formally that until such time that these projects are subjected to the type of scrutiny that we are asking for, we will not hold ourselves responsible or liable,” said Harmon.

What does a shadow minister do? How can he be a "minister" and he does not have a position in the government?

Good going here APNU!

“Parliament has already approved a motion demanding a full forensic audit of NICIL and we are insisting that this be done without delay.”
Given the public position now stated by APNU, Harmon said that the unnamed investor cannot now claim to not know of the opposition’s stance on the project. He is adamant that the President must now act, given that Brassington is not a Member of Parliament or an elected representative of the Government.
“What we are doing now, we are taking it to another level…We are informing the investor formally that until such time that these projects are subjected to the type of scrutiny that we are asking for, we will not hold ourselves responsible or liable,” said Harmon.

APNU should go further, callout EVERY DECENT minded Guyanese who have an opinion of the goverance of the country to encourage the entire population to down tools in the country for a week in support to end NICIL unethical practices.

That government department is loaded with corrupt individuals. That is the government agency where corrupt ministers of the government send their children and family to work inorder to continue their fleecing of the citizens of Guyana.

They should examinie the bank accounts of the LAWYERS that work at NICIL.

Jail dem razz. 

The opposition had a the chance to debate Brassington on public television about allegations of corruption made against NICIL. Brassington showed up but the opposition did not. Put or shut up! 

U should b jailed along wid him. Just for keeping side wid ppl who steal from ur bruddahs and sistahs.

You are acting like a dictator who operates above the law.

You will hear a lot of noise as the Marriott approaching completion. I have seen many motions passed in parliament, taxpayer's money spent with no result to this day. This is another motion that will fall on deaf ears. Will APNU contribute this much energy to crime fighting? BTW, what happen to the Linden (COI) report and APNU's involvement? A waste of taxpayer's money again, loss of lives, damage to properties and compensations paid out to the victim's family.

I wonder if you ask our accountants for a showing or your books and inform him that his spending of your money needs to be reconciled and he invite you to debate the matter instead of furnishing with your accounts that you would be happy. This crook has been measured and found wanting. Good move by the opposition. They had to be pushed by commentators in the society but the finally took those crucial steps to bringing this house of cards and three card monty dealer down. Let me pat my self on the back and say I was asking for similar steps to be taken even before the election.

Sorry, you are pointing at the wronged person. Guyana is his birthright and that crook has been pillaging it with the full autocratic authority of the crooked PPP government. They are the ones who think themselves above the law. Guyana is not their grandfathers legacy.

Mr. Separatist,

Have you come up with a name for the homeland of the Amerindians?

NICIL can help fund this venture too.

Where did you see I advocate separatism except in your duncified mind? I ask they be given what is their due per Annex C of the independence agreement. NICIL belongs to Amerindians as well as any Guyanese and it is not surprising you see it as apart from them

Danyael,

Your complaints over the years about Amerindians give us some indication that you are attempting to manufacture grievances to fuel a separatist movement. This is not far-fetched given what's happening in other countries.  We have to keep an eye on you.

I like your framing of the proposition....my complaints about Amerind right is to manufacture grievances. Get real fool. I did not refuse the Wais Wais contiguous titles to their land. I did not lease out mining rights to outsiders on Amerind land. I did not fabricate egg shell titles to titled lands. I did not give 99 year lease to an Indian at Orealla so he can build a Hotel and use Amerind as  his cigar indians. I did not refuse to enforce the term used everywhere including the UN, "indigenous" to our native peoples for opportunistic ends. Not my party is in power some 21 years and is still to complete titling native people lands while I lease away many times over the same amount to others without consulting the opposition. Tell me, why is an Indian from India squatting on 4% of guyana when no one knows of him until Jagdeo brought him here under the radar? You need to keep an eye on me. If our people remain as the PPP foot stool don't you think the wave of amerind revolt across south america would spare guyana where they are subject to the same indignities? Yes, keep an eye on me!

My Dear Amerindian Brother,

I've always been a fan of the tribal people of Guyana. My father's grandmother borned in the 1900s was Amerindian who married and Indian indenture from Calcutta spent most their lives at Plantation Lusignan. It is no wonder I am so strong . The Amerindian men and women of today are still being taken advantage of by people from all walks of life. The gov't has been trying hard to integrate them into the armed forces and the gov't. Amerindians are now successful farmers in the Laluni area. They produce more vegetables than Black Bush Polder. They are dressing in style and driving nice cars. Don't judge their conditions based only on those women who prostitute themselves in bars and brothels. Indian and African women are in those situations too regardless of the reasons.

I do not care for your cries that you care for our concerns. I care that you support and say we are inventing grievances when we complain against the party you defend. Amerindians have always been a self sufficient people living a harmonious existence with the jungle. The idea that they are a success now because of anyone is itself an insult. I do not care that prostitution by a racist neglectful and contemptuous society bothers me. men are hired as menial laborers to mining companies an

You don't debate corruption. The inept PPP/C is protecting him. The opposition must insist on forensic auditing of his accumulation of wealth and audits by competent bodies not excluding the RCMP and FBI and especially for insider trading for and with his brother.

You are talking about the lives of Amerindians prior to the coming of Columbus. I am talking about the post-Columbian era where the native people were not only decimated by European diseases but dispossed from their lands. The ruling PPP/Civic took the bold iniative to empower them by giving them rights over thousands of hectares. Investors from Europe and China cannot mine Amerindian lands in Guyana without the consent of parliament and the AMerindians. THe Norweigians have been so impressed with the gov't's effort to protect the rainforest, habit of the AMerindians, that they have given us a quarter of billion dollars to help in this iniative.

I am talking about Amerinds I knew and grew up with who cared less about what happened in gt.

The Norwegians are the world largest suppliers of fossil fuel so did what they did to ease the pressure off their backsides from environmentalist. Those people would care less about Gy government environmental practices ( or lack thereof) And note the money released to this point ( with the exception of tiny percentages) did not even go into any environmental projects but to the likes of FLip motilall

Shadow Minister with responsibility for Public Works, Joseph Harmon, yesterday issued the opposition edict, and called for the personal assets of Brassington, the members of the board of National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) as well as all others in public office that are connected to the entity, to be investigated by a credible integrity commission.

The apnu are the biggest thieves and destructive elements in the history of Guyana. Now they want to remove the best and brightest in their attempt to stymie development.