Fellow Grenadians,
By my open letter of December 12, 2006, published in this newspaper, several questions were addressed to the Minister with responsibility for Energy, Gregory Bowen, touching and concerning his stewardship of the nation's offshore resources of oil and gas.
That letter was copied to the Governor General, political, religious, labour and civic leaders of our nation and hand delivered to the offices of Minister Bowen and the Prime Minister, the Hon. Dr. Keith Claudius Mitchell.
Those questions were based on answers given by Minister Bowen, at his media conference, to enquiries made by the editor of "Grenada Today", George Worme.
In answering the questions, Minister Bowen denied that there was any agreement between the Government of Grenada and the Russian people sued with him in the case brought, in the USA, by Jack Grynsberg and further stated that he knew of no agreement between the Government of Grenada and any Russian people or any people whatsoever to explore for oil and gas.
Minister Bowen failed to answer the question, "Can we safely say that no Russian group has paid any money into the Treasury?"
In response to that question, he stated, "There is no exploration agreement with Russian group."
The questions which Minister Bowen was invited, in my letter of December 12, 2006, to respond were based on information in my possession that indicated otherwise than stated by Minister Bowen, in his replies to George Worme.
Some of that information is contained in a letter, published in this newspaper today, written on October 17, 2005 by Russian born Lev Model, believed also to carry the name Lev Morchavez, to Minister Bowen.
My investigations of Lev Model disclosed, among other things, that at the time the letter was written Lev Model was in charge of the Call Centre at Seamoon.
Frighteningly, the letter discloses that US$2.5 million (equal to EC$6.75 million) changed hands, paid by Lev Model, in pursuit of what is stated to be an agreement between the Government and a company named Global Petroleum Group.
My investigations also revealed that Edward Vasiliev, named in the letter, is a Russian national.
Because of the serious nature of the information in my possession and the far reaching implications and consequences for the people of this nation, I invited the Minister to make a public declaration informing the people and clearing the air around this mysterious transaction and the resting place of the US$2.5 million which the letter stated was paid to the Government of Grenada.
The minister, to date, has failed to respond and to give the people the information on his dealings with valuable public assets and an account of public funds.
In my letter, I promised to report and disclose to the people of Grenada all the evidence that have come to my hand with respect to this matter, if Minister Bowen failed to make disclosure.
Today, you, the people, are presented with some of the evidence while my investigation continues.
You, the people are to decide.
Reynold C. Benjamin
