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Minister of Public Utilities Marvin Gonzales. File photo/Angelo Marcelle
PUBLIC Utilities Minister Marvin Gonzales told Newsday on Tuesday the Regulated Industries Commission (RIC) has a new executive director, replacing the outgoing head, Glenn Khan.
The minister was responding to claims by Princes Town MP Barry Padarath at a UNC rally on Monday in Princes Town ahead of the August 14 local government elections. Padarath alleged Khan had been removed and replaced.
Gonzales told Newsday he had just returned from Tobago, where he had spent Monday on a number of projects.
“This morning I received on my desk written communication from the RIC chairman (Dawn Callender) advising me that the term of engagement for Mr Khan ended on June 30. So he was engaged on a contractual basis, and his contract of employment expired on June 30.
“Since before the expiration of the term of contract of Mr Khan, the board had commenced a recruitment process. They have appointed a new person. I don’t have her name on my desk right now.
“So another person was appointed, given a contract to fill the position of executive director commencing July 1.
“So there was no stepping down, there was no termination, there was no firing. Mr Khan’s term of engagement expired on June 30 and a new executive director was appointed effective July 1.”
Gonzales said it had been “a very, very smooth transition.”
He said, “But in typical UNC style, and you can quote me on that, they try to put bacchanal and confusion into the simplest things in the public sector.”
