The A Partnership for National Unity/ Alliance for Change (APNU/AFC) Coalition Government has refused to budge in its position regarding calls being made to send the interim Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Guyana Power and Light Company (GPL), Colin Welch, on leave while he is being investigated over allegations of corruption.
Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson has maintained there is no need to send Welch on leave. The Minister has since announced that the Ministry is currently conducting internal investigations of alleged misconduct, fraud and corruption that surfaced recently against Welch.
Asked whether it is procedural for someone under investigations to remain on the job, the Public Infrastructure Minister explained that it depended on the nature of the probe.
Welch was elevated from Deputy CEO Technical following former CEO Bharat Dindyal being relieved of his duties in August. At that time, Welch was accused of forging his credentials.
The acting CEO has once again found himself in hot water after allegations surfaced of his alleged involvement in the tendering process for a multimillion-dollar meter contract. However, Welch told sections of the media recently that the allegations being levelled against him were totally fabricated, and, as such, he saw no “validity” in the accusations.
Welch seems never devoid of a controversy. In early August, Welch had clashed with Dindyal at GPL’s Sheriff Street offices after the then CEO overturned a decision to send home two senior staffers.
Prior to that, his actions had landed him under the microscope when he reportedly instructed a metering crew to conduct a search of Freedom House for the purpose of investigating.
Dindyal had acknowledged there was a ‘trend’ or ‘pattern’ being developed which indicated that Welch had been sending GPL crews to properties of persons who were/are affiliated with the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C).
It should be noted that the position the Government has taken in this matter is at variance with what occurred in other matters involving allegations of corruption against senior public officials who were/are perceived to have some relationship with the Opposition PPP/C. In most of these cases such persons were sent on immediate leave or dismissed while investigations were being carried out.
This situation now put the icing on the cake for this GOVERNMENT. IT SHOWS CLEARLY COMPLETE FAVORITISM AND RACISM BY THE GOVERNMENT. AREN’T YOU GUYS ASHAMED OF YOUR SELF.
Would be nice if all the cleansing can produce some sort of ‘race- balanced’ reorganization.When will this ‘tit for tat’ politics ever end ?
Agree send the misfit on leave…
Ah come on ppl lets get real this dictator government will keep the incompetent moron there period because he is a brother ( from the same cloth)You see Dindyal is different he is from a different ethnic group so he cant be a brother–so he had to go–Look whats going on the square pegs are moved around and not fired.Where is the outcry from the so called “GENIUSES” I thought we have replaced the unqualified.corrupt but instead the replacements are thieves themselves–What a way to go PNCITES.This is progress for the APNU
Height of arrogance.
Wah you’all callin fo Welch to resign? He is kit and kin and ain’t gat no way to go. So every badly just shut up or put up.😃😃
Colin Welch should stay on the job.
It would be wrong to send this corrupt PNC officer on leave or to investigate him while Winston Felix and Basil Williams are still Ministers.
Welch, should be sent on leave, but he will not, as he knows all the runnings, that went on, and still goes on at GPL.Also with Dindyal gone, who have they left to run GPL and be a whisle blower..
A proper, unbiased investigation cannot be conducted with Welch on the job. That Patterson is covering up this scandal is evidence of corruption. He too should be sent on leave.
TOMMY when you think about incompetent think about PPP
This incompetent government is showing it’s true colors as time passes
We shall not be moved! …Govt refuses to budge in sending Welch on leave to facilitate investigation:
People whom are calling for him to step aside are just stupid and down right dumb:
Do they not see the name and photo { Colin Welch } ??
If his name was Joe Singh or Joe Persaud with the hair photo then you bet your life they would have no qualms removing.
We await Freddie Kissoon write his column on PNC blatant racism in just 7 months.
The beauty of this ethnic unity coalition is that the top 3 straigh hair mules cant say a thing to PNC.
Their names are Namgmammoo – Rumjhaatmammoo and Rope-Narinemammoo.
They have no tax dollars to send on any jump up like how PNC top brass does spend tax payers money like it going out of style.
They cant fit their East Indian buddies in any top job like how PNC fitting their family and good buddies in top jobs.