Weeks after a vessel, purportedly bearing Guyanese registration, was detained in Senegal with weapons the Guyana government has terminated its agreement with Nautilus Register “ClassNR” and revoked the appointment of Prof. (Capt) Suniel Kumar as an international technical and administrative representative of the Guyana Ships Registry.
The Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) of the Ministry of Public Works had distanced itself from the discovery.
Earlier in January, reports surfaced that a Guyana-flagged vessel named “Eolika” arrived in Senegal with three containers of weapons on board, worth about US $5 million.
See the full letter from Attorney General Anil Nandlal, SC, below:
Re: Termination of Agreement dated 4 February, 2021 and Memorandum of Understanding dated 3 March, 2021
I act on behalf of the Government of Guyana. I refer to Agreement dated 4 February, 2021, governing the delegation of statutory certification services for vessels registered in Guyana, executed between Mr. Stephen Thomas, Director General on behalf of Maritime Administration Department and yourself, Prof. (Capt) Suniel Kumar, Chief Executive Officer on behalf of Nautilus Register “ClassNR”, a subsidiary of Aryavart Corporation. I also refer to Memorandum of Understanding dated 3rd March, 2021, executed between the Maritime Department, Ministry of Public Works, Co-operative Republic of Guyana and The Aryavart Corporation, in which, MARAD appointed Aryavart Corporation as an international technical and administrative representative of the Guyana Ships Registry, under the name International Maritime Safety Agency for Guyana (IMSAG). For the record, and for the avoidance of doubt, I am compelled to inform you, as I hereby do, of letters issued by Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) on behalf of the Government of Guyana, that is to say, Notification of Termination dated 13 August, 2021, which succeeded the Notification of breach of Contractual obligations dated 29th June, 2021, both correspondences you acknowledged, which
wherever law ends, tyranny begins…” effectively terminated all agreements/ arrangements with Aryavart Corporation and its subsidiaries pursuant to Clause 6.7 of the abovementioned Agreement, including the Memorandum of Understanding dated 3 March, 2021, to which reference is made above.
Additionally, pursuant to Public Statement made by the Honourable Bishop Juan Edghill MP, Minister of Public Works, regarding fraudulent representation and illicit conduct by International Maritime Safety Agency for Guyana (IMSAG), the Government of Guyana has dissociated itself from IMSAG, its principals, subsidiaries and/or their affiliates. This Statement sought, inter alia, to alert all stakeholders, national, regional and international, that IMSAG has ceased to be a representative of the Co-operative of Guyana and the Guyana flag. As was indicated in the said Public Statement, this matter was reported to the Guyana Police Force with a request to inform and engage on international law enforcement agencies on this issue.
In the circumstances, you are hereby reminded that you are relieved and removed from all roles and responsibilities under the said MOU. As a consequence thereof, the Government of Guyana reiterates its demands that you immediately cease all representations of the Guyana flag and/or MARAD, and relinquish to MARAD, all relevant details and supporting documentation of all transactions undertaken on behalf of the Guyana flag and the Government of Guyana.
Please be guided accordingly.
