DEPUTY Chief Elections Officer of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Mr Calvin Benn, has not resigned, contrary to some media reports circulated yesterday.
A reliable source within GECOM told the Guyana Chronicle that Benn’s contract will expire on July 31, 2014, and he has opted not to renew it; thus severing his engagement with GECOM.
“The end of a contract is not akin to resignation…. I believe his decision might have something to do with health reasons,” the source said.
Calvin Benn
Benn was one of the applicants for the post of CEO, but he withdrew his application. The Commissioners at GECOM have since supported the appointment of Keith Lowenfield as the new Chief Elections Officer (CEO).
In February this year, Benn was hauled over the proverbial coals when he appeared before the National Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and Auditor General Deodat Sharma stuck to his 2011 report on the financial management at the Guyana Elections Commission, citing several areas that have raised red flags for the PAC.
Benn was questioned on several areas of concern, including the loss of some $500,000 from GECOM, which the Commission is asking to be written off; the claim for over $10M in outstanding payments, a debt the Commission is asking to be written off; the write-off of inventory which was not labelled and, as such, is presenting a challenge for the Ministry of Finance to acquiesce to a request for a write off; missing vouchers valued at $2.32M; and the theft of 11 Canon digital cameras.
APNU’s Shadow Finance Minister Carl Greenidge requested that Benn submit the documents and other necessary accompanying reports to the Committee by the end of the week, so the PAC can seek to resolve the issue, and Benn committed to have same done.
(Vanessa Narine)