Dear Editor,
I noticed Mr Vishok Persaud’s purported response captioned “I signed a letter of intent with BMW since December 2005 to establish Prestige Motors” (07.03.11) to the letter captioned “The company that got the contract to import the BMWs is part owned by Mr Reepu Daman Persaud’s son” (07.03.09).
Mr Persaud would have been better advised to remain silent because what he has written further exposes the nepotism.
First of all the letter writer had correctly pointed out that a company Prestige Motors Inc formed in December 2006 of which Mr Persaud is a part owner was given the contract to import the BMWs for world cup cricket.
Mr Persaud now clarifies the position. If we are to believe him, it was Mr. Persaud personally, who in 2005 signed the letter of intent with BMW AG one year before Prestige Motors Inc was incorporated. So the arrangement with BMW was personal to him and not the company which did not come into existence until one year later.
Secondly, he stated that Prestige Motors Inc. had put forward proposals to Govern-ment in 2006. If such proposals were indeed put forward by Prestige then they would have had to have been done after December. Prestige did not exist prior to December 2006.
I think young Mr Persaud is doing what many people do; he is confusing himself with the company. Since the company did not come into existence until December 2006 any prior proposals to Government would necessarily and logically have had to have been made by Mr. Persaud in his personal capacity.
Mr. Persaud has not told us if Prestige Motors Inc as opposed to himself has any arrangement with BMW AG or whether the company is merely his agent or a sub-contractor in the performance of the contract. But more importantly, since the public were not aware of the mandatory requirements to import 20 BMWs until late 2006, how did Mr Persaud himself know of it in 2005 so as to position himself to get the contract? Did he have a “Buddy’s type, Memorandum of Under-standing with the govern-ment” or was it an insider deal?
Moreover Mr. Persaud does not seem to appreciate the fact that when a government proposes to spend public funds in this manner such expenditure must pass the muster of public tender. One other fact that was not disclosed is whether government advanced any money [a la Buddy’s] to (a) Mr Persaud or (b) to Prestige Motors to enable whichever one to import the 20 BMWs.
I am indeed quite happy that a few feathers lining the nest were ruffled.
Yours faithfully,
Khemraj Ramjattan
Attorney at Law
