The Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA) today lauded the Ombudsman’s report into a complaint by a sacked NBS manager as courageous and it called on the savings institution to reinstate and fully compensate the managers and staff who had been dismissed in connection with the loss of $69M from a customer’s account in 2006.
Ombudsman, Justice Winston Moore’s report on a complaint by dismissed New Building Society (NBS) Chief Executive Officer, Maurice Arjoon has generated kudos and also expressions of dissent from some officials referred to in the report notably the former Chairman of the institution and now Minister of Labour, Dr NK Gopaul.
Moore’s key finding was that conspiracy to defraud charges that were brought in 2007 against Arjoon and two other managers: Kent Vincent and Kissoon Baldeo were a grave injustice as there was no evidence to sustain them in the material he had reviewed as part of his investigation.
In its statement today, the GHRA congratulated Moore, for a “model” Report into Arjoon’s complaint and for ensuring the Report received the attention it deserves.
“The GHRA unreservedly welcomes the Report because its common-sense findings vindicate claims made by Mr. Maurice Arjoon and his fellow NBS Managers that the evidence on which they were unfairly dismissed and falsely charged was baseless. This Report also indirectly challenges the widespread misuse of political influence to distort decision-making processes. Hopefully the Report will stimulate other ordinary citizens to seek redress for injustice, even ‘though all the forces of the State may seem arrayed against them’”, the human rights group said.
“Mr. Moore has shown much courage. His first Report has made clear that unlike so many State appointments, the Office of the Ombudsman will not be at the service of the powers-that-be. Rather, the Ombudsman is taking seriously the role of responding to complaints from citizens who believe themselves to have been unfairly or unjustly treated by a State agency or official”, the statement added.
The GHRA said that the report was carefully tailored to probe the roles of State officials in the charges laid against Arjoon who it said was fired and charged with fraud less than six months before retirement after an impeccable career spanning thirty years. Charges were dropped against the trio three years later.
The GHRA noted that the focus of the Report is the police investigation; the role allegedly played by State officials in the affair; why a Bank of Guyana Report disappeared from the Police file; and why the accomplices of a self-confessed participant in the fraud were never charged.
“The key question now is whether the Directors of the New Building Society will attempt to salvage the reputation of this … institution. It is no coincidence that in 2010 a PPP-dominated Parliament forced through an amendment to the law covering the New Building Society to the effect that special meetings to investigate wrong-doings, which formerly required one hundred members, now requires a percentage which in real terms amount to approximately 10,000 members.
“The first obligation on the Board of the NBS is re-instatement of the dismissed Managers and staff and compensate them fully for all the wrong done to them”, the GHRA asserted.
It added that in a society “long-conditioned to the State furtively finding its way into every facet of life, the recent revival of the function of Ombudsman under Mr. Moore is a welcome relief. His Office clearly merits a larger staff. “
Since the report was made public, the NBS has restated its case for the dismissal of the trio for misconduct in connection with the loss of the $69M. A statement was also issued by the Director of Public Prosecutions, Shalimar Ali-Hack stating that there was strong and compelling evidence in 2007 for the managers to be charged.
A statement was also issued by Gopaul in which among other things he rejected charges by Arjoon that his dismissal from the institution was instigated by former President Bharrat Jagdeo over the question of financing for the Berbice Bridge.
Moore’s report also cited missing segments of the police file into the NBS fraud matter which could have pointed to ministerial interference in the investigation and the silence of Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh about a Bank of Guyana report which could have possibly exonerated the three managers.
