The probe into financial irregularities at the state-owned broadcaster, NCN, is over says Chairman of the Board, Prem Misir.
“We’re all aware of what happened, (Chief Executive Officer, Mohammed ‘Fuzzy’) Sattaur resigned. I’m personally not aware of any other investigation going on,” he said in a brief comment when contacted yesterday. Pre-viously, he had told Stabroek News that irregularities were found but was tight-lipped about their nature and would only say that the probe is continuing.
This was shortly after Sattaur resigned and the Programme Manager Martin Goolsarran was suspended for eight weeks. The board of NCN launched an investigation in June into suspected financial irregularities at the network and Goolsarran was sent on administrative leave in relation to a $3.9 million cheque made payable to him by telecoms company GT&T as an incentive for the production team that worked during the company’s jingle and song competition, held between September last year and February this year.
Sattaur’s quitting and Goolsarran’s suspension coincided with the resignation of Yog Mahadeo, the then Chief Executive Officer of GT&T. It was GT&T’s payments to NCN for services that triggered the investigation.
Members of the public have asked why the police were not called in by NCN to conduct an investigation into the irregularities.
It is not clear what further action, if any, is going to be taken. Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr. Roger Luncheon had previously told reporters that the probe was delayed because the life of the NCN Board had expired. He had said that the results of the investigation would be released after it would have been addressed by the Office of the President.
The AFC has called for a full disclosure of findings of the NCN investigation, while cautioning against a potential “cover up” to protect employees. “We do not know the full scope and depth of financial impropriety at NCN, whether it is confined to the revelation of $3 million from GT&T or whether there is more. We suspect, based on the government’s call for the resignation of the CEO, that there is much more,” AFC MP Cathy Hughes had told a party news conference.
“The AFC is calling for full disclosure and that the report of the probe is made public. The AFC strongly believes that there is now a belated cover-up attempt to protect the former Chief Executive Officer and others at NCN from facing the full brunt of the law… It is not good enough to say that the CEO has resigned and that a senior manager was suspended. NCN, as a state-owned company, was receiving millions of taxpayers’ dollars over the years in annual subventions. The people, therefore, have a right to the full details on what has been happening at NCN,” she added.
Meanwhile, when questioned in relation to the appointment of a new CEO, Misir pointed out that the editor-in-chief, Michael Gordon has been acting in the position and he said that he does not think there will be a replacement. “For you to ask me about a replacement is confidential information,” Misir said. “If you were acting in a position would you want to hear about replacement,” he further queried. Pressed on whether there would be a replacement he responded “I don’t think so.” He said that Gordon had taken on the role of CEO previously when Sattaur was on leave and he is fully aware of his responsibilities and doing a good job.
