Edghill stumbling block to Public Accounts Committee meetings, as APNU walks out

Last Updated on Monday, 3 August 2026, 22:12 by Writer

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) meeting was Monday short-lived after A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) members walked out in protest over the presence of committee member Juan Edghill, the public works minister, a parliamentary source said.

The source said APNU committee member Ganesh Mahipaul spearheaded the objection to Mr Edghill on the grounds that he was under public scrutiny for the sinking of the MV Barima and should not only recuse himself from the committee but also resign.

APNU and the main opposition We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) have been calling for the resignation or removal of Mr Edghill and minister Deodat Indar over the sinking of the MV Barima on July 19, resulting in an unconfirmed death toll of more than 100 persons.

However, sources said PAC Chairman Vishnu Panday reportedly overruled objections to Mr Edghill’s presence on the grounds that he is still a minister of government and committee member.

It is unclear whether APNU would change its stance since that party has consistently called for frequent PAC meetings to address the backlogged consideration of Auditor General’s reports for several years.

The PAC is a National Assembly bipartisan mechanism to question opaque spending of government funds as contained in the Auditor General’s reports.

The parliamentary source said government PAC member Gail Teixeira rejected the objection as out of order and that the PAC’s work should continue.

After Mr Mahipaul and fellow APNU member Juretha Fernandes walked out, the source said the meeting lost its quorum.