Kaieteur News attacks credibility of recycling plant developer using unverified info from competing developer
By Romel Roopnarine
Today's Kaieteur News sought to create uncertainty regarding the US $30M recycling project which was recently inked between the GoG and a Canadian based Guyanese who apparently is the driving force behind the company Natural Globe Inc.
The newspaper uses as its source, the competing developer who lost out in his bid to gain the government's approval to poke holes at the credibility of Natural Globe Inc. and its owner Mohamed Osman. I hold no brief for Osman, he will have to explain himself to the public and outline the details.
However, a prominent contradiction stands out from the statements of the ‘source’ in the KN report which clearly escaped the attention of the reporter.
According to the source (Mr. Mosgrove),…… “He (Osman) speaks about a US$30M plant in Guyana that is expected to service Georgetown, East Coast Demerara and the East Bank Demerara. That plant would probably serve around 250,000 persons which is nowhere close to being a national provider”
The Kaieteur news report also quoted the source; Mr. Mosgrove as saying, “for any company to invest $30M to service such a small market something is definitely wrong.”
But just a few lines after, the very Mosgrove is quoted by the reporter as saying that his company invested US$26M to construct and outfit a 30,000 square foot modular facility in the St James Parish, Jamaica.
It does not end there; a quick glance at Mosgrove’s website - Panther Recycling Corporation and we will see that his only claim to fame are two projects, one in Guyana and the other in Jamaica. When one clicks on the Guyana link, this is what pops up – “Currently in Progress: Coming soon to Guyana a full scale recycling program and facility.”
The impression the company is giving is that it was/is already a done deal in Guyana.
For the Jamaica link, we are told that “Panther has already cleared the land and is now making plans to ready the site for construction of the 26 million dollar plant.”
However, if we are to believe Mr. Mosgrove, this plant should have been completed since last year.
A Jamaica Gleaner article on June 24 2012, quoted him as saying that “the recycling center should be in operation by September (2012) as the company will not be using the traditional construction methods.”
More than one year later, the company’s website is telling us that the ‘land has been cleared for construction.’
Bear in mind, according to the Kaieteur News article TODAY as quoted above, he is stating that his company has already ‘INVESTED…….’ If US26 million was used to clear the land we can only imagine the cost of constructing the complex.
But then again we should have sensed something ‘smelly’ when next to the names and experience of the Company’s President and Vice President (the only two persons featured) were pictures of two unrelated buildings (one in Dubai) and not their images.
BOASTING
Regarding its “COMPLETELY Modular design Powered by solar!!!!” the company boasts that….“Built in Canada and delivered by ship-lines, average time start to production 6 months that's why Panther is the leader in the Caribbean.”
Let us stress on the last few words, “Panther is the leader in the Caribbean”. Of what? They have not delivered on any of their promises to date in the Caribbean as can be verified from their very own web site. So what are they the leaders of?
Raising further eyebrows, neither their web site nor Kaieteur’s ‘source’ have specifically indicated one single project in Canada that they are currently engaged in. This is as much as we know, “Panther has now entered into an agreement to convert coal fired plants to solid waste.” Who, what, where, when, how…..are all missing.
The reason I took about an hour to research this on the internet is the simple fact that, Kaieteur’s source which the reporter and editor allowed to be published made a number of disparaging remarks about the integrity of the company and owner who was successful in obtaining government approval.
A recent lesson learnt by the world rated CBS 60 minutes teaches us the value of verifying the authenticity of the information provided by our source before we publish. The KN reporter by her own admission did go on the internet to research but apparently only on the company which won the bid and not to verify her source.
A simple glance at the website would have raised eyebrows. But then again the urge to attack any and every Government project is such an enticing prospect for Kaieteur News that nothing else matters, including the truth.
