GPL CEO Colin Welch

…yet no censure from Board or Minister

By Kristen Macklingam

Less than four months after being controversially appointed Chief Executive Officer of Guyana Power and Light (GPL), Colin Welch has found himself in hot water after evidence surfaced about his interference in a multi-million dollar contract.

This contact was for the supply of pre-paid meters. Reports are that Welch reportedly asked a supplier to lie about the specifications with regards to the tender for the supply of thousands of prepaid meters valued at over US$4 million.

Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson

On Sunday, Director of Public Information at Ministry of Presidency Imran Khan, via a Whatsapp broadcast told the media that Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson admitted he had received complaints about this particular tender.

As such the tender was aborted; instructions were for the process to be ‘set aside’, and for it to be retendered.

According to Khan, this was more than a month ago, with the main complainant (to the minister) objecting to the process.

“Minister Patterson then instructed an independent review of the complaints. All of the main complaints were found to be invalid. The new tendering procedures under a new team have been set in motion,” Khan’s broadcast stated.

In April last, the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) closed the bids with Tesco PLC, a British company that won the contract and undertook to supply the pre-paid meters to Guyana.

It was stated that Tesco was going to procure the meters from Shenzhen Clou Electronics Company Limited of China to supply to GPL.

Subsequently, one bidder raised an objection about the evaluation and award, claiming that Tesco’s supplier, Shenzhen Clou Electronics Company Limited, does not manufacture the 100-amp meters required by GPL.

Another objection raised was in relation to the inspection of the meters.

Guyana Times understands that the almost 30,000 meters had to be certified by an internationally accepted laboratory before shipment could commence. Questions also surfaced over the certification documents which were presented.

As such, the tender board wrote both Tesco and Shenzhen, seeking clarifications.

It was during the waiting period for responses that the controversially appointed Welch allegedly contacted the Chinese company stating that it must also lie about having the 100 amps prepaid meters available in other countries.

The acting CEO of GPL was elevated from Deputy CEO – Technical following the ‘dismissal’ of former CEO Bharat Dindyal in August last.

At that time Welch was accused of forging his credentials. In early August, Welch had clashed with Dindyal at GPL’s Sheriff Street offices after the then CEO overturned a decision to send home two senior staffers.

Prior to that, his actions had landed him under the microscope when he reportedly instructed a metering crew to conduct a search on Freedom House for the purpose of investigating.

Dindyal had confirmed at that time that no metering crew is tasked with investigative works and he, being the boss of Welch, had been unaware as to what were the grounds for such actions.

He had acknowledged there was a ‘trend’ or ‘pattern’ being developed which indicated that Welch had been sending GPL crews to properties of persons who were/are affiliated with the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C). (kristenm@guyanatimesgy.com)