Min. of Natural Resources throws support behind Broomes

Jan 12, 2016 News

-seeks legal opinion on conflict of interest
Statements by General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), Clement Rohee, about the suitability of junior Minister of Natural Resources, Simona Broomes, have drawn the ire of the Ministry.
This is after Rohee, during a press conference at Freedom House yesterday, stated that Broomes involvement with Pharsalus Gold Inc. constituted a conflict of interest with her new post.
In a statement yesterday, the Ministry insisted that it had confidence in Broomes’ appointment to the Ministry. It also stated that Rohee’s statements were a “red herring.”
The statement in its entirety reads as follows; “Echoing earlier assertions directed at Minister in the Ministry of Natural Resources the Hon. Simona Broomes in sections of the media, PPP General Secretary Clement Rohee, at a party press conference repeated those assertions, numbered amongst which were charges of conflict of interest in relation to the portfolio which she now holds and other accusations intended to impugn her character.”
“The Ministry of Natural Resources wishes to make it clear that it has abundant confidence in the capacity and integrity of Minister Broomes and stands firmly behind her in the course of her execution of the responsibilities that fall under her new portfolio.”
“In the first instance, we reject entirely the assertions that allude to ‘conflict of interest’ alluded to by Rohee in his statement. That notwithstanding, the Ministry has solicited a legal opinion on the matter of conflict of interest and will pronounce with greater specificity on this issue very shortly.”
“The Ministry wishes to state that Rohee’s recent utterance is no more than a red herring, designed, it seems, to cause the nation to forget the PPP’s mountain of reprehensible transgressions. Unfortunately for Rohee the people of this country have longer memories than he gives them credit for.”
“Meanwhile, the Ministry of Natural Resources wishes to state categorically that the shenanigans of the PPP will do nothing to diminish its confidence, and for that matter, the confidence of the Government of Guyana in the Honorable Minister.”