Jan Mangal's original broadside:

Greenidge displayed most resistance to disclosure of ExxonMobil contract and US$18M Signing Bonus – Former Presidential Advisor

Jan 26, 2020

https://www.kaieteurnewsonline...us18m-signing-bonus/

During his time as the President’s Advisor on Petroleum, Dr. Jan Mangal, said he strived to ensure the principles of transparency and accountability were part and parcel of every government decision. But this was easier said than done.

Not only did he have to deal with the reluctance of some Ministers to act swiftly on critical petroleum issues, but in other instances, Dr. Mangal said he faced resistance to his proposals to disclose key information to the nation.

During an exclusive interview with Kaieteur News, recently, Dr. Mangal said that former Foreign Affairs Minister and now Foreign Secretary, Carl Greenidge, was resistant to proposals for the disclosure of the ExxonMobil contract, which also involved the revelation of the US$18M signing bonus.

The Petroleum Consultant said, “He seemed very much against releasing the contract with ExxonMobil for the Stabroek Block.

“He was against providing the contract to the Guyanese people, the very people who own the oil. Not releasing the contract also meant not telling the Guyanese people about the signing bonus, which I knew had to be disclosed.”

Further to this, the former Presidential Advisor said that former Minister Greenidge, of all the Ministers, showed the most resistance to the renegotiation of the lopsided deal.

Dr. Mangal said, “I was pushing for a rebalancing of the contract so Guyana could get a fair share, but former Minister Greenidge and Sir Shridath Ramphal were completely against it.

“(Greenidge) was extremely annoyed by the thought of renegotiation.”

The Petroleum Consultant was also keen to remind how former Minister Greenidge and others claimed that “everything had to be kept secret” as a result of the controversy that arose from Venezuela’s spurious claims over Guyana’s territorial waters.

Dr. Mangal insists that “this was nonsense” while noting that it is a common ploy of politicians to hide behind “national security” issues.

He said, “No doubt Venezuela is a serious issue for Guyana, but the solution to that is via international diplomacy and not via trying to buy a strong bodyguard whose only interest is ripping you off.”

Kaieteur News would have reported that the Granger administration said that Venezuela’s claim on Guyana’s territorial waters was part of the reason why the receipt of the signing bonus was kept quiet. Part of the money was dedicated to Guyana’s legal fight against the matter.

Furthermore, Dr. Mangal said one has to remember that an important way to make officials accountable to the people is via transparency.

He said it is important to give the people all the information so they can decide.

“Guyanese people are not stupid, but the politicians have treated us as stupid for half a century,” Dr. Mangal added.

The Petroleum Consultant asserted as well that “Secrecy equals corruption while transparency equals good governance”; hence, he was very clear about the need to release the Exxon contract.
Dr. Mangal said, “I (had) advised that the longer contracts were kept secret, the more damaging it would be for the government once the information comes out, and that it would come out eventually. So it was best to release the information as soon as possible.”

The former Advisor said he is convinced President David Granger saw the benefits of transparency, and how it would help Guyana.

He further stated that it was because of the President’s intervention that the contracts were finally released to the people.

Dr. Mangal said, “I believe it was the President who was instrumental in releasing the contracts, and this was an immensely positive and bold decision for Guyana by the President; Guyanese need to recognise and be thankful for this.”

Yesterday, Kaieteur News made numerous attempts to contact Greenidge to respond to the allegations being made by Dr. Mangal.

When contacted via a mobile call, he was told of the claims and said he would respond to the former Presidential Advisor in his own time.

When pressed for a comment, nonetheless, he said he would return a call within 10 minutes but he never did.

Several calls had to be made before Greenidge could be reached once more. He subsequently promised that a note would be sent by 7:45 PM.

Up to press time, Kaieteur News received no note in response to Dr. Mangal’s claim and all calls to the Foreign Secretary’s mobile number went unanswered.

Carl Greenidge's response:

“I never resisted disclosure of ExxonMobil’s contract and US$18M signing bonus – Carl Greenidge

 
Jan 27, 2020

https://www.kaieteurnewsonline...onus-carl-greenidge/

Foreign Secretary Carl Greenidge is vehemently denying recent allegations made by former Presidential Advisor on Petroleum, Dr. Jan Mangal, that he resisted the disclosure of the ExxonMobil contract as well as government’s acceptance of an US$18M signing bonus.

During an interview yesterday with Kaieteur News, Greenidge said that Dr. Mangal’s claims in this regard can be best described as “utter fabrications” which are clearly defamatory and intended to damage the Government.

The former Minister of Foreign Affairs said, “…When Mangal speaks on issues of transparency, you would think he spoke to God himself. But let me tell you, the impression that Mangal and I were frequently locked in some battle or other over his proposals is rather foolish, because we have only spoken to each other on two occasions in the course of the four or so meetings at which I was aware of his presence.”

Greenidge further said that he never saw any proposal from Dr. Mangal about the disclosure of the contract or the signing bonus.

“So this claim that I was the most resistant, nothing could be further from the truth,” the Foreign Secretary added.

Further to this, Greenidge said that he was not Dr. Mangal’s policy Minister and was never asked by either President David Granger or Mangal’s immediate subject Minister, Mr Raphael Trotman, to comment on Mangal’s written work.

The Foreign Secretary said, “It is therefore astonishing that he would have the temerity to suggest that his failure to persuade his Minister/President or the Cabinet of the wisdom of ‘all’ his proposals is wholly attributable to me or my office.”

Greenidge said that the attempt to use him as a scapegoat is clearly a “barely disguised political attack on the Government.”

Additionally, Greenidge stated that he is not the first object of Dr. Mangal’s ire, adding that the former Presidential Advisor has sought to vilify in the same “intensively personal and self righteous fashion,” not only Minister Trotman, in whose policy realm he operated, but also Sir Shridath Ramphal and Mr Rashleigh Jackson whose remits are entirely foreign policy and law.

Finally, the Foreign Secretary categorically stated that he did not negotiate the ‘2016 contract’ or any petroleum contract with ExxonMobil and received no proposal from Mangal, directly or on his behalf, concerning the signing bonus.

now,

Jan Mangal was appointed Presidential Advisor for Oil & Gas in March 2017

i have 2 questions:

when did he (Mangal) learn of the Exxon $18 million bonus that was paid over to the Gov't in the fall of 2016?

did he (Mangal) have knowledge before Chris Ram made his explosive 'disclosure' in late October 2017 of a "$US20 million" signing bonus that was supposedly stolen. . . after all, he (Mangal) writes knowledgeably about Shridat Ramphal and Greenidge advocating fiercely for no re-negotiation and, i have to assume, continued secrecy about the Exxon contract materials?

hmmmm?

Hey hey .we good WPA conscious black man KN paper columnis turn up. Which coolie ayoo preachin one love to dis week? Hey hey hey.

Hey hey ...........Why Mr Mangal only blaming Greenige and de ole coolie daag who help Burnham force pon abie de evil Shahab-Burnham-Repu Daman-Janet-Corbin-Jagdoe constitution? Granger and Naga personal responsible. De buck stop on chuch going Granger desk and lie man probaganda Naga desk...hey hey hey. 

Labba posted:

Hey hey .we good WPA conscious black man KN paper columnis turn up. Which coolie ayoo preachin one love to dis week? Hey hey hey.

hmmmm . . . you must be dumber than i thought

or maybe somebody special sell you a mess of not-salted-enuf pigtail with maggot infestation

but then again, this may be a toupee-man-style reaching for tactical 'cleverness'

hmmmm?

btw, i didn't just "turn up" . . . Amral's 'ronan rules' protection scheme providing 'relief' for overmatched bigots posting here triggered my gratuitous suspension . . . remember?

but you knew that already, rite?

Labba posted:

Hey hey ...........Why Mr Mangal only blaming Greenige and de ole coolie daag who help Burnham force pon abie de evil Shahab-Burnham-Repu Daman-Janet-Corbin-Jagdoe constitution? Granger and Naga personal responsible. De buck stop on chuch going Granger desk and lie man probaganda Naga desk...hey hey hey. 

standard red herring distract nonsense from you

i asked a couple of questions . . . with purpose

anybody?

ronan posted:

now,

Jan Mangal was appointed Presidential Advisor for Oil & Gas in March 2017

i have 2 questions:

when did he (Mangal) learn of the Exxon $18 million bonus that was paid over to the Gov't in the fall of 2016?

did he (Mangal) have knowledge before Chris Ram made his explosive 'disclosure' in late October 2017 of a "$US20 million" signing bonus that was supposedly stolen. . . after all, he (Mangal) writes knowledgeably about Shridat Ramphal and Greenidge advocating fiercely for no re-negotiation and, i have to assume, continued secrecy about the Exxon contract materials?

hmmmm?

Ronan,

Jan Mangal, may have been privy to see the EXXON Contract that was signed in October 2016. One would assume as Presidential adviser on Oil & Gas ,appointed in March 2017 ,all information will be available to him.

ronan posted:

Labba posted:

Hey hey .we good WPA conscious black man KN paper columnis turn up. Which coolie ayoo preachin one love to dis week? Hey hey hey.

hmmmm . . . you must be dumber than i thought

or maybe somebody special sell you a mess of not-salted-enuf pigtail with maggot infestation

but then again, this may be a toupee-man-style reaching for tactical 'cleverness'

hmmmm?

btw, i didn't just "turn up" . . . Amral's 'ronan rules' protection scheme providing 'relief' for overmatched bigots posting here triggered my gratuitous suspension . . . remember?

but you knew that already, rite?

Hey hey hey...yuh still seeing jumbie, ole higue, doppy, bacoo, sukantie, moon gazer, churile behind de deeds of de toupee man? Yuh mean Granger doan even gat wan bacoo? Hey hey hey...

Django posted:

ronan posted:

now,

Jan Mangal was appointed Presidential Advisor for Oil & Gas in March 2017

i have 2 questions:

when did he (Mangal) learn of the Exxon $18 million bonus that was paid over to the Gov't in the fall of 2016?

did he (Mangal) have knowledge before Chris Ram made his explosive 'disclosure' in late October 2017 of a "$US20 million" signing bonus that was supposedly stolen. . . after all, he (Mangal) writes knowledgeably about Shridat Ramphal and Greenidge advocating fiercely for no re-negotiation and, i have to assume, continued secrecy about the Exxon contract materials?

hmmmm?

Ronan,

Jan Mangal, may have been privy to see the EXXON Contract that was signed in October 2016. One would assume as Presidential adviser on Oil & Gas ,appointed in March 2017 ,all information will be available to him.

why then did he remain silent when the dawg pound led by head dawg Chris Ram was busy 'convincing' the nation that the money was disappeared and stolen?

knowing full well that the signing bonus was in a Gov't account at the BOG

there obviously was a debate, and a national security case was made by certain parties in favor of secrecy for all contract matters with EXXON

but i am not naive regarding corrupt intent . . . Ramphal and dem, i am sure, were motivated FOR maximum secrecy because of the fat legal fees they could bill to the account without scrutiny

and yes, the big reveal was handled stupidly by Trotman and Co.

but that's a far cry from the bill of goods regarding theft that was sold and survives thru the ignorant, the scampish and dishonest PPP civil society propagandists even today

smfh

ronan posted:

Django posted:

ronan posted:

now,

Jan Mangal was appointed Presidential Advisor for Oil & Gas in March 2017

i have 2 questions:

when did he (Mangal) learn of the Exxon $18 million bonus that was paid over to the Gov't in the fall of 2016?

did he (Mangal) have knowledge before Chris Ram made his explosive 'disclosure' in late October 2017 of a "$US20 million" signing bonus that was supposedly stolen. . . after all, he (Mangal) writes knowledgeably about Shridat Ramphal and Greenidge advocating fiercely for no re-negotiation and, i have to assume, continued secrecy about the Exxon contract materials?

hmmmm?

Ronan,

Jan Mangal, may have been privy to see the EXXON Contract that was signed in October 2016. One would assume as Presidential adviser on Oil & Gas ,appointed in March 2017 ,all information will be available to him.

why then did he remain silent when the dawg pound led by head dawg Chris Ram was busy 'convincing' the nation that the money was disappeared and stolen?

knowing full well that the signing bonus was in a Gov't account at the BOG

there obviously was a debate, and a national security case was made by certain parties in favor of secrecy for all contract matters with EXXON

but i am not naive regarding corrupt intent . . . Ramphal and dem, i am sure, were motivated FOR maximum secrecy because of the fat legal fees they could bill to the account without scrutiny

and yes, the big reveal was handled stupidly by Trotman and Co.

but that's a far cry from the bill of goods regarding theft that was sold and survives thru the ignorant, the scampish and dishonest PPP civil society propagandists even today

smfh

True, Jan Mangal could have been vocal during Chris Ram revelation around October 2017. Perhaps wanted  to stay quiet his contract was ending in following year March 2018 . He didn't want any renewal ,due to his brother local business affiliation with EXXON.

Labba posted:

Hey hey hey...yuh still seeing jumbie, ole higue, doppy, bacoo, sukantie, moon gazer, churile behind de deeds of de toupee man?

yesss the "deeds" of toupee man . . . an 'inspiration' for juvenile, limited thinkers like you

another grifting, bigoted, big word pseudo-intellectual who bamboozled a generation of NY Indo-Guyanese political 'scientists' and wannabees with primitive Hindutva nationalism and loathing of Black people (note i said Black "people" not Black "Guyanese")

that's the only reason i mention him

funny, i never trust the utterings of any man wearing a toupee who doesn't need to like an actor or other entertainer type

weird no?