The Ministry of Natural Resources confirmed with Guyana Standard today that Senior Petroleum Coordinator, Gopnauth Bobby Gossai was given a warning and a pay cut for his unauthorized actions in ExxonMobil’s US$1.7B audit.
Guyana Standard previously reported that the audit of the Stabroek Block expenses for the period 1999-2017 was conducted by IHS Markit, a UK Consultancy Group. It had flagged US$214M in questionable spending in a 2021 report.
While the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), which serves as the government’s advisor on these matters, gave its no-objection to IHS’s findings and recommended that the audit be closed with the said sum, Gossai deviated from said advice. The ministry had said he further engaged Exxon in the unauthorized reduction of the sum to US$3M. Following a probe that was ordered by President, Dr. Irfaan Ali to ascertain who was at fault, the ministry said Gossai was clearly out of line and would face “disciplinary action.”
In a statement seen by this news agency, the ministry said, “Mr. Gossai has been disciplined in keeping with Public Service Rules for the offence of negligence.”
“In this regard, and in keeping with the Public Service Rules, it was approved that the maximum fine in the amount of 15 days’ pay be instituted against Mr. Gossai for the said offence.”
Additionally, in keeping with Public Service Rules, a warning has been issued to Gossai.
Vice President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo recently reiterated that the government is standing by the auditor’s report which flags US$214M in questionable sums. There is no room at this point for talks of settlement, he had said.
Guyana and Exxon are expected to go head to head in arbitration to resolve the financial dispute.
