Questions raised over qualifications of GPL’s interim boss

September 16, 2015 | By KNews | Filed Under News, Source

Almost three weeks after naming Colin Welch as the interim Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Guyana Power and Light Inc. (GPL), it appears that there may be questions over his qualifications.

Welch, a deputy CEO in charge of operations for the state-owned company was left as the top man after Bharat Dindyal was sent off in August. He was one of two deputies along with Ash Deonarine, the deputy CEO of Administration.

Deonarine was sent on administrative leave after an audit found that he was instrumental in giving himself a $27.8M back pay.

Sources yesterday told Kaieteur News that auditors working on GPL found some questionable things while reviewing Welch’s university qualifications. Some ministers were reportedly notified late last week.

The matter will be probed deeper when a new Board of Directors for GPL is appointed. Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson, who has responsibilities for the electricity sector, could not be reached for a comment, yesterday.

Last month, Minister Patterson, questioned about an internal GPL probe ordered by Dindyal into a number of money claims made by Welch, said that is a matter for a GPL committee.

Welch clashed with his former CEO last month after he visited the Sheriff Street office with a police rank, seizing the office keys and company phones. He reportedly issued letters to Senior Loss Reduction Manager, Loaknauth Singh, and Senior Investigator David Kaladin.

Those letters ordered the officials to proceed on administrative leave, while the security was instructed not to allow the two managers back into the office.

Dindyal subsequently sought to revoke the order on the same day, leading to a heated exchange which was captured on video.

On August 14, last, Dindyal was sent home after that video made its rounds in the news and on social media. Dindyal was heard using profanity and referring to the Minister of Public Infrastructure, Patterson in a disparaging manner.

Dindyal had charged that Welch had no authority to send any staffer home and ordered that they return to work immediately.

Welch initially defended his actions by purporting to be acting on instructions from Minister Patterson. However, asked about this claim, Patterson emphatically stressed that he gave no such instruction. GPL has been under the spotlight for its management of the coastal electricity supply now.

Once faced with a shortage of generators, the company is now battling high electricity thefts and technical losses. Its management of key projects and handling of billions of dollars has also been dogged by corruption accusations.

A report made last December by Chairman, Winston Brassington, spoke of a stormy relationship between the Board of Directors and management, especially the then CEO, Dindyal.