Harmon supports Trotman’s call for int’l investigation into oil blocks giveaway

Opposition Leader, Joseph Harmon, yesterday spoke favourably of the position by former Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman, that there should be an independent probe into suspicious oil blocks giveaways by a competent, independent firm.
Trotman had said he would prefer that there be an investigation into the awards as anti-corruption watchdog, Global Witness recommended in a report earlier this year.
Harmon held a press conference yesterday, during which he responded to questions from Kaieteur News on the Coalition’s posturing on matters related to oil and gas.

“The statement by Minister Trotman is, I believe, an eminently good statement that says he would not mind an international investigation, and I think that is a proper position to take.”
The contract was hidden for a year and a half after its signing, by the previous administration.
The then Government had also hid from the public that it received a signing bonus from ExxonMobil, of US$18M, which it kept in a special account.

In its call for an investigation into the award, Global Witness said that Trotman ignored expert advice on multiple occasions, and signed the agreement away in a short period, leaving US$55B on the table.
Trotman has still left unanswered many substantive questions on the matter, but has admitted that he thinks government should have done better with the deal.
Two other suspicious awards also made regular news – of the Canje and Kaieteur blocks. While the Donald Ramotar administration made the award, the coalition is largely seen as complicit.
Trotman had declined to answer, explaining that he is not in a position to answer, since he – now out of office – did not have access to the documents relating to those transactions.

On the other side of the political aisle, Vice President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, has given no green-light for the independent probes he spoke in support of while he was Opposition Leader.
He recently posited that an internal review being conducted by government into the awards would inform him whether there is a need for an investigation into the Canje and Kaieteur awards. As of now, his view is that no laws were broken and that there was no corruption.