MTV sues ex-minister’s wife for $41M

Sep 17, 2017 News, https://www.kaieteurnewsonline...isters-wife-for-41m/

A local broadcaster has sued Kamini Persaud, wife of former Natural Resources Minister, Robert Persaud, for over $41M.
The monies represent loans and other spending that the owners of Multi Technology Vision Inc. (MTV) says were allegedly spent and taken without authorization by Mrs. Persaud, the former General Manager of the media outfit.
MTV Secretary to the Board of Directors, Sasenarain Shewnarain, in court documents disclosed that the station is an established business involved in broadcasting via the airwave spectrum Channel 14 (Cable 65).
He claimed that a forensic audit conducted into the financial accounts of the MTV revealed that the Respondent, Mrs. Persaud, misused funds of the media entity without any authorisation.
The audit revealed that in 2011, Persaud took a loan and personally spent over $1.5M.
It went up in 2012 – the personal spending that year was $2.5M.
According to the 2012 figures, MTV’s monies were unauthorisedly spent – more than $127,000 on the operations of INews, an online news website that was independent of MTV, and reportedly controlled by the Persaud family.
INews was reportedly sold to the ‘Bobby’ Ramroop group in late 2015.
Also in 2012, another $9M was spent to conduct some works that are in question.
In 2013, MTV continued to spend monies on INews- $2.1M- with Persaud’s personal spending amounting to $13M that year.
Questionable works to the tune of $14M were also picked in the forensic audit.

According to its application, MTV said Persaud was written to on August 2, demanding that she pay in 14 days. To date this demand has not been honoured.
Representing MTV in the Fixed Date Application are Attorneys-at-Law Sanjeev Datadin and Siand Dhurjon.
The hearing in the case is set for October 11, 2017.
MTV is owned by a number of local and overseas businessmen.
Last month, in a suspicious incident, MTV’s transmission tower at the Eccles Industrial Site, East Bank Demerara, came crashing down, damaging parts of the studios there and neighbouring shed.
MTV’s Management believed that the incident was deliberate sabotage as one of the guidelines that anchor the tower, appeared to have been cut.
Investigators took away a nipper which was hooked in the cable. That incident happened in the wee hours of September 2, shortly after a cricket show was aired. Staffers were in the studios when the tower collapsed.

The damaged tower at the MTV studios, a few weeks ago.

[[Excerpt from article]]

Last month, in a suspicious incident, MTV’s transmission tower at the Eccles Industrial Site, East Bank Demerara, came crashing down, damaging parts of the studios there and neighbouring shed.

MTV’s Management believed that the incident was deliberate sabotage as one of the guidelines that anchor the tower, appeared to have been cut.

This is a civil matter and not political.

This matter has political roots and is newsworthy. In the first place, Kamini Persaud got that TV broadcasting licence directly from her uncle, President Jagdeo, in November 2011. In the second place, Kamini's husband Robert Persaud, MBA, was a favored government minister with years of news media experience, so it's fair to assume that he offered his wife advice on journalism and business management. The $millions in personal drawings from MTV by Kamini could not reasonably happen without Robert's knowledge.

Then the police should also be involved at looking at possible fraud by Kamini and Robert.

Cobra.