Govt breaks silence on World Bank debarred consultant

Last Updated on Wednesday, 23 November 2022, 16:57 by Denis Chabrol

Just days after the World Bank announced that it has debarred a Spanish consultant because of corrupt practice, the Guyana government on Wednesday said the man was hired by the then A Partnership for National Unity+Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) coalition-led administration in early 2020 and was effectively fired eight months later.

The Ministry of Natural Resources said Mr. Carlos Barberán Diez was awarded the contract to provide consultancy services under the  portfolio of “Natural Gas Negotiations Specialist” on January 31, 2020 and the consultancy came into effect on February 3, 2020.

“Owing to Mr. Diez’s conflicts of interest and solicitation, his contract was terminated  on September 13, 2020, by the current Government of Guyana in accordance with Clause  19.1.1 (e) of the General Conditions of the granted contract,” the Ministry of Natural Resources said in a statement, in what is believed to be the first time  that the People’s Progressive Party Civic government has confirmed that there was corruption in the World Bank-funded project.

That international financial institution said Barberán Diez’s three-year debarment took effect on November 16

Mr Barberán Diez, an individual consultant was terminated by the current  government in connection with a corrupt practice as part of the  Petroleum Governance and Management Project in Guyana, government said. 

The Guyana Petroleum Resources Governance and Management Project, which was launched  in 2019,  was created to support the enhancement of legal and institutional frameworks and the  strengthening of the capacity of key institutions to manage the oil and gas sector in Guyana. 

Mr Barberán Diez had been contracted to provide advisory services and technical support towards the establishment of a natural  gas negotiations function within the then-defunct Department of Energy under the Ministry of  the Presidency

The Irfaan Ali-led administration seized the opportunity to state that the Guyana government, including the Natural Resources Ministry,  remains committed to the  “sustainable, transparent, and accountable management of Guyana’s petroleum resources in  compliance with international standards and best practices.”