Hughes resigns as AFC Chairman over Amaila links

Hughes resigns as AFC Chairman over Amaila links

Prominent Attorney Nigel Hughes has tendered his resignation as Chairman of the Alliance for Change following revelations in the Kaieteur News that he serves as the Company Secretary for the Amaila Hydro Inc. which has been smeared in controversy surrounding the Amaila Falls Hydro power project and ongoing questions and concerns from the political opposition.

In a statement posted to his Facebook Page, Hughes said “the incorporation of the Amaila Falls Hydro Inc and my appointment as secretary have been a matter of public record since the incorporation of the company in April 2009”.

He said he welcomes the publication of that fact by the Kaieteur News and explained that when the issue of the Amaila Falls hydro project became a matter of public interest, he disclosed his interest in the company to the Leadership of the Alliance For Change.

He said he also asked that he be “recused from participating in their deliberations on the matter”. Hughes is convinced that the information about his role in the company was provided to the Kaieteur News by a prominent chartered accountant and that move could be to imply that he may have been advancing the cause of his clients in the deliberations by the AFC on the project. Hughes said he totally rejects that contention without reservation.

“I have at all times acted professionally and disclosed to the party my relationship with the Client as the client has been aware of my position in the party”, the Attorney said.

He ended his statement by saying that “as a result of this clear attempt to tarnish the name of the AFC and its publicly stated positions on the Amaila Falls Hydro project I have today offered my resignation as Chairman to the Alliance for Change”.

The Government and the Opposition A Partnership for National Unity and the Alliance for Change have been going at each other following the Opposition’s non support for the project at this time. The APNU has called for more information to me made available about the project and its real costs.

The Kaieteur News revelations about the links of the AFC Chairman to the the Amaila Falls project came on the same day that the AFC Leader Khemraj Ramjattan appeared to be softening his position on the issue in the Stabroek News, claiming that he now wants to support the project.

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