A law firm, founded and still “partially owned” by Anil Nandlall, Guyana’s Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister, has withdrawn a bid for a government contract to the tune of $9.6M. The senior politician made the disclosure on his Facebook page, a day after an article appeared in the Kaieteur News of a firm owned by the AG contesting the contract.
The AG said that the firm, Mohabir A. Nandlall & Associates, Attorneys-at-Law, was established, and is still partially owned by him. However, he noted that upon the assumption of the office of Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs back in 2020, he severed all functional ties with the firm, and plays no role whatsoever in its management or conduct of its day-to-day business.
“This state of affairs obviously led the current management of the firm to the considered opinion that it is not improper to bid for publicly advertised contracts by the Government of Guyana. While I hold the firm view that Guyanese connected to me should suffer no detriment due to this connection in dealings with the Government. With equal force, they ought not to benefit by virtue of this connection,” the Minister noted.
Nandlall said that when he learnt of the bid’s submission, he discerned that the presence of his name on the documents could lead to “improper inferences”, and he immediately held discussions with the firm. After those deliberations, it was agreed that the bid would be withdrawn.
“I am informed and do verily believe that a letter to this effect was dispatched to the National Tender and Administration Board. I am further informed and do verily believe that the said bid has since been withdrawn and is not being considered by the Evaluation Committee,” the AG clarified.
This development occurs amid Nandlall’s administration’s strong stance against nepotism and allegations of government contracts being awarded to companies associated with former regime officials, particularly ministers of the previous government.
