Luncheon fires Integrity Commission secretary
-ignore it, advises Ramjattan
Stabroek News
February 1, 2003
Fhe Presidential Secretariat, Dr Roger Luncheon has fired secretary to the Integrity Commission, Deonarine Shiwsankar, but attorney Khemraj Ramjattan has advised Shiwsankar to ignore the dismissal.
"Luncheon has not been able to learn that he has no authority to knock off people left, right and centre when they are employed by statutory bodies," Ramjattan told Stabroek News yesterday.
Shiwsankar received a letter from Luncheon on January 2, stating that there has been "irreparable loss of confidence in (his) ability to discharge (his) responsibility as secretary to the Integrity Commission" and as a consequence his contract was being terminated. He was given a month's notice, which expired yesterday. No reason was stated in the letter for the loss of confidence.
Ramjattan has advised Shiwsankar to continue to show up for work, arguing that the integrity commission was a corporate body governed by a board appointed by the President. He said under Section 12 of the Integrity Commission Act of 1997, the commission employs its officers, including the secretary.
"...And he who employs can dismiss. The commission must send a letter. As far as we are aware, the commission has never discussed his termination, " Ramjattan asserted.
Luncheon and Ramjattan have clashed in recent months over the handling of the Dexter Cummings termination from the Guyana Forestry Commission and the termination of Bal Parsaud from the Environmental Protection Agency. In both cases Luncheon has been accused of interfering in the affairs of statutory bodies.(
