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April 26 2020

Source

By Adam Harris


Persistence is a virtue. It is so when someone insists of getting something. Sometimes the persistent person can be a nuisance but then again, there is a saying that what is worth having is worth pursuing.

Capt. Gerry Gouveia is a very persistent person. In the process he has changed the way people view the Private Sector Commission. This was supposed to be an apolitical organisation. I have been at forums where the chairpersons of the Private Sector Commission pledged to serve the government of the day.

The result was that whoever was leading the country would be invited to address events like the Annual Awards. Political loyalties had nothing to do with the invitation. More recently, though, the Private Sector Commission appears to have taken on an advocacy role. This body applied for and was granted observer status for the March 2, 2020 elections. It was the same thing in 2015. With the other observer missions it visited polling districts and polling stations to ascertain the proper conduct of the elections.

This year, he flew the diplomats from the United States Embassy, the British High Commission, the Canadian High Commission and the European Union around the country to locations that are somewhat remote. The fact that the final count has been mired in controversy has not escaped notice. In the past, when challenges were raised the Chief Elections Officer would direct people to the courts by way of an elections petition.

Doodnauth Singh, who was the Chairperson of the Guyana Elections Commission, did just that. On one occasion when he was asked about the ballots for polling stations right in the city being among the last to arrive at GECOM headquarters he made light of the issue. He simply said that the ‘runners’ (the people bringing the statements of poll) must have gone to the Olympics. When the opposition-elected members of the commission challenged certain counts, Gocool Boodoo, the Chief Elections Officer, merely told the objectors that they can go to the courts by way of an elections petition.

The volume of irregularities that surfaced in the 1997 elections did not stop GECOM from bulldozing ahead with a declaration and even a secret swearing of the President, Ms. Janet Jagan. Those elections were vitiated. For ruling against the government the Bharrat Jagdeo-led government removed Justice Claudette Singh from the judicial line up. She was to become Chief Justice when Justice Cecil Kennard retired and Justice Desiree Bernard became Chancellor but she was ignored. Jagdeo moved her aside and made Justice Carl Singh the Chief Justice.

He tried to placate both Justice Claudette Singh and those who questioned the sidelining to say that the judge would not lose status, and that she would receive the same pay as Justice Carl Singh. We know that Carl Singh went on to perform the duties of Chancellor and Justice Claudette Singh later went on to become Police Legal Adviser.
Ironically, the very judge, Claudette Singh, who vitiated those 1997elections is now the Chairperson of GECOM. She is being attacked to the point that threats have been made against her life. When Commissioners suggest that the protests should come by way of an elections petition these suggestions were ignored.

Vocal diplomatic corps


Meanwhile, for the first time I saw the international community being very vocal in their protest of the vote count. The community talked about sanctions and non-recognition of a government sworn in on those results. History had been created. The international community took over the control of the elections and sought to dictate terms and conditions.

Capt. Gerry Gouveia was among the most vocal. He used his Private Sector Commission to send messages internationally, protesting the conduct of the District Four count. Those protests should have been over when President David Granger and Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo decided that there should be a total recount of all the votes. The courts supported the decision and GECOM decided to move ahead with a total recount.

One would have expected that that was the end of the controversy. Far from it. Gerry Gouveia continued his campaign for a recount of the District Four votes. GECOM had moved past that but not Gouveia. He claimed that there were no problems in the other electoral districts. But there were. Representatives of the coalition attempted to get recounts but were bluntly denied. They were advised to get into the ballot boxes by way of an elections petition. The deck was stacked against them.

Gouveia and some others, including Nigel Hinds, an economist, began to lobby for the District Four ballots to be counted simultaneously with the others. Instead of allowing GECOM to proceed in a manner that would satisfy every elector, including those carping for a District Four recount.

There will be a District Four recount when the time comes. But before that there will be a recount of other electoral districts. Only recently I learnt why Gouveia is so persistent in trying to have the other ballot boxes remain closed from public scrutiny. He needs the People’s Progressive Party in office. The Guyana Revenue Authority has him in court for some $350 million. This was money collected when Dynamic Airways was operating in Guyana. The sale of tickets attracted a value added tax. That was money due to the government coffers. It turned that Mr. Gouveia never paid over that money.

Commissioner General of the Guyana Revenue Authority, Godfrey Statia, entered into an arrangement with Mr. Gouveia for payment. If my information is correct, GRA gave Gerry Gouveia just over a year to pay. When nothing happened GRA moved to the courts and secured a decision. Mr. Gouveia has appealed that decision.

I am now wondering whether his fanatical support for the PPP using the Private Sector Commission is because with a PPP victory that money, all $350 million, would not have to be paid. There is also a court matter that was investigated by retired Crime Chief Alvin Smith. Mr. Gouveia and a Vieira were involved. It involved a Skyvan. Desmond Hoyte was President. That matter, too, has not been disposed of. Alvin Smith may have retired and Desmond Hoyte may be dead but the records are still there.

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Only recently I learnt why Gouveia is so persistent in trying to have the other ballot boxes remain closed from public scrutiny. He needs the People’s Progressive Party in office. The Guyana Revenue Authority has him in court for some $350 million. This was money collected when Dynamic Airways was operating in Guyana. The sale of tickets attracted a value added tax. That was money due to the government coffers. It turned that Mr. Gouveia never paid over that money.

Commissioner General of the Guyana Revenue Authority, Godfrey Statia, entered into an arrangement with Mr. Gouveia for payment. If my information is correct, GRA gave Gerry Gouveia just over a year to pay. When nothing happened GRA moved to the courts and secured a decision. Mr. Gouveia has appealed that decision.

I am now wondering whether his fanatical support for the PPP using the Private Sector Commission is because with a PPP victory that money, all $350 million, would not have to be paid.

Mitwah

Putagee mafia man Gerry tarassss. We need something put out where we can see exactly who is getting in the way of these recounts. One group says it's the other, one newspaper would show one thing another paper show something else. We see lots of videos and newspaper clippings but each person has a different take on what is shown. There has to be a timeline set for the recounts, do them all in order where nothing and no one gets in the way with this and that legal bullshit they seem to make up on the fly.

It seems strange the PPP tend to stay fairly quiet on this issue, sure they come up with a statement here and there but they should be real pissed if they "know" they have won the election. Instead we see the same crap posted about funds gonna be withheld by the ABC countries, bank accounts gonna be frozen, people going to jail, so far, nothing. When the rass will we see some sort of action being taken by all sides so this bullshit come to an end?

cain
Last edited by cain
@Baseman posted:

Drowning man clutches at straws.  What does any on these have to do with 34 vs 30?  People bet on horses everyday, some win, some lose.   Who did BK Tiwari bet on?

What does this post have to do with anything?

cain
@Former Member posted:

Hey hey hey...dem PNC chuch going riggers looking foh wan scapegoat like we Trump. Hey hey hey...

Dem bannas like Gerry and Bobby coulda tek dem money and comfatable live Miami or Toronto and leff nuff guyana peopkle foh get wite mout and berry berry. 

FM
@Former Member posted:

Dem bannas like Gerry and Bobby coulda tek dem money and comfatable live Miami or Toronto and leff nuff guyana peopkle foh get wite mout and berry berry. 

So you're all for dah banna tief the 350million (over 1 .5 million US) from dem poor people leaving dem fo get white mouth an berry berry, eh? 

cain
Last edited by cain
@Former Member posted:

Dem bannas like Gerry and Bobby coulda tek dem money and comfatable live Miami or Toronto and leff nuff guyana peopkle foh get wite mout and berry berry. 

The leeches should leave--they are parasites.

T
@Totaram posted:

The leeches should leave--they are parasites.

Hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey...parasite and leech? Dem bannas does create job foh peopkle. Yuh ever see how PNC full up de public service wid dem mattie? Dat look like ring worm to me...hey hey hey...

FM

Private Sector Head threatens legal action against Adam Harris over ‘libelous’ article

PSC Chairman, Captain Gerry Gouveia

Chairman of the Private Sector Commission (PSC) and businessman, Captain Gerry Gouveia, has threatened legal action against newspaper columnist, Adam Harris, over a number of libelous statements, he (Harris) made, via an article published by the State-owned Guyana Chronicle.

The allegations against the top private sector official were reportedly made in an Op-ed column titled; “Gerry Gouveia’s interest in the elections may be a case of self-interest”, carried on page 9 in the Sunday, April 26 edition of the Guyana Chronicle.

Gouveia, through his Attorney Christopher Ram, has since written to Harris demanding an unqualified public withdrawal of the allegations, a proper apology in terms to be agreed and published; with commensurate prominence given to the original article.

Columnist Adam Harris

According to Ram, the said article levels a number of gravely defamatory charges against his client. These allegations include; that Gouveia is persistent in trying to have the ballot boxes for certain of the electoral regions closed to public scrutiny; that he needs the Peoples Progressive Party (PPP) in office and that he has collected the Value Added Tax of hundreds of millions of dollars but failed to pay these sums over to the Guyana Revenue Authority; and that this matter was decided by the court and that he has appealed the decision.

Ram said the article also makes allegations about an investigation into a transaction involving state assets and imputing impropriety on the part of Gouveia.

According to the Attorney, these allegations are completely false and have no basis in fact. “As you can imagine, the publication of the article has caused immense damage to our client’s reputation and immense pain and distress to him and his family. The injury suffered by our client has been aggravated by your disreputable conduct which falls far below the standards of an experienced columnist in a newspaper owned and funded by the state.

“Our client intends to ask the court to conclude that the said article was malicious in intent and written with complete indifference to the truth in an attempt to besmirch his reputation and desire for the early conclusion of the March 2020 elections. Our client will also be asking for substantial damages to be awarded against you and the newspaper in order to deter it and you from behaving in a similar manner in the future,” Ram indicated in his letter to Harris.

Gouveia, through his Attorney is also demanding that the offending article be removed from the newspaper’s website.

Gouveia said he is willing to bring the matter to an end if the article is withdrawn and the necessary public apology is offered by the columnist.

The PSC had fielded a team of observers for the March 2nd polls. The organisation has since been actively involved in joining with other stakeholders in pressing for a credible recount process and for a winner to be declared based on those results.

The PSC had also appealed to the Commonwealth Secretariat, the Organisation of American States, the European Union and the Carter Center to return to Guyana for the commencement of the recount by GECOM.

Django
@Mitwah posted:

Only recently I learnt why Gouveia is so persistent in trying to have the other ballot boxes remain closed from public scrutiny. He needs the People’s Progressive Party in office. The Guyana Revenue Authority has him in court for some $350 million. This was money collected when Dynamic Airways was operating in Guyana. The sale of tickets attracted a value added tax. That was money due to the government coffers. It turned that Mr. Gouveia never paid over that money.

Commissioner General of the Guyana Revenue Authority, Godfrey Statia, entered into an arrangement with Mr. Gouveia for payment. If my information is correct, GRA gave Gerry Gouveia just over a year to pay. When nothing happened GRA moved to the courts and secured a decision. Mr. Gouveia has appealed that decision.

I am now wondering whether his fanatical support for the PPP using the Private Sector Commission is because with a PPP victory that money, all $350 million, would not have to be paid.

You have keen interest in GRA tho.

Bibi Haniffa
@cain posted:

Putagee mafia man Gerry tarassss. We need something put out where we can see exactly who is getting in the way of these recounts. One group says it's the other, one newspaper would show one thing another paper show something else. We see lots of videos and newspaper clippings but each person has a different take on what is shown. There has to be a timeline set for the recounts, do them all in order where nothing and no one gets in the way with this and that legal bullshit they seem to make up on the fly.

It seems strange the PPP tend to stay fairly quiet on this issue, sure they come up with a statement here and there but they should be real pissed if they "know" they have won the election. Instead we see the same crap posted about funds gonna be withheld by the ABC countries, bank accounts gonna be frozen, people going to jail, so far, nothing. When the rass will we see some sort of action being taken by all sides so this bullshit come to an end?

The silver fox Granger and his team will prolong the whole fiasco so that by the time it's all over, they would have served their 2nd term...

FM
@Former Member posted:

The silver fox Granger and his team will prolong the whole fiasco so that by the time it's all over, they would have served their 2nd term...

Banna, dah ain guh ‘appen. Dem guh gafu pack up soon.  If you nah think suh, I suggest you change your handle to Timbuktu!

Baseman
Last edited by Baseman
@Former Member posted:

it pays to have friends in high places

Always like that. If you see my post above, I believe it was Casablanca who was saying granger will drag it out for a full term.  Wish he/she was still here to say “I told you so.”

Baseman

So Base, if it good fo have frens in high places you maybe wanna be fren with me eh?

Iman luv a place fo get high now an agin'

Speaking of high places, I wonder how DaGoads is doin, haven't seen hide nor hair of the criteria for awhile.

cain
Last edited by cain

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