The operation of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament was left in limbo yesterday after opposition members refused to entertain a motion seeking to remove APNU+AFC MP David Patterson as Chair.
The motion brought by Minister of Governance and Parliamentary Affairs, Gail Teixeira, called for Patterson to recuse himself as Chair. It was presented without notice or explanation aside from a lack of confidence on the part of the government.
“This morning in committee a motion came from the government side calling on the Chair of the PAC to recuse himself as Chairman because we don’t believe that he should continue to serve as Chairman in in light of what is taking place publicly. It was not to remove him as a member but to ask him not to be the person presiding as the chairperson of the committee,” Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill told media following the two-hour contretemps.
Patterson has been the subject of controversy every since it was revealed that he and his former junior Minister Annette Ferguson accepted million of dollars in personal gifts from agencies under their purview.
