Controversial “Panama Papers” exposes three links to Guyana; Fmr. CGX Executive Dr. Edris Dookie named

Guyanese Oil and Gas executive, Dr. Edris Kamal Dookie and Brazilian businessman Yucatan Reis are among three persons listed as having links to Guyana that have been named in the “Panama Papers ” scandal.

Dr. Dookie, who is also a former executive of CGX Inc up until March 2013, is listed as a shareholder in Oyster Oil and Gas Limited, a company that was incorporated in the British Virgin Islands on September 8,2010. The address of the company is listed as St. George’s Place; St Per Port; Guernsey; GY1 2B:; previously Fiman House; La Hoguge du Valle; Valle; Guernsey; GY3 5TE.

Reis is listed as a beneficiary of Equatorial Project Management and Engineering Enterprises Ltd, a company that was incorporated in the British Virgin Islands on January 18,2013. The company’s address is listed as Calle Oeseta 12 Esq. De Puente Neubo A Quebrada ED1F64 1 Apt. 11 Urb. Parroquia San Juan, Caracas Distritito, Captial Venezuela. The account is listed under “bad debt.”

Chetwynd ‘Chet’ R.F Bowling, a New Amsterdam businessman was also listed in the Panama Papers as having offshore accounts.

The Panama Papers are leaked legal documents that belong to Panama-based law firm, Mossack Fonseca. The papers have shown how wealthy individuals, including powerful public figures have hid their wealth.

This ICIJ database contains information on almost 320,000 offshore entities that are part of the Panama Papers and the Offshore Leaks investigations. The data covers nearly 40 years up to the end of 2015 and links to people and companies in more than 200 countries and territories.

ICIJ says it is publishing the information in the public interest. “While many of the activities carried out through offshore entities are perfectly legal, extensive reporting by ICIJ and its media partners for more than four years has shown that the anonymity granted by the offshore economy facilitates money laundering, tax evasion, fraud and other crimes. Even when it’s legal, transparency advocates argue that the use of an alternative, parallel economy undermines democracy because it benefits a few at the expense of the majority.”

But while the ICIJ is revealing this information, that may have other implications in illegality, it has made it clear that “there are legitimate uses for offshore companies and trusts. We do not intend to suggest or imply that any persons, companies or other entities included in the ICIJ Offshore Leaks Database have broken the law or otherwise acted improperly. Many people and entities have the same or similar names.”

Some believe that the information in the Panama Papers may be of interest to Guyana since it has been widely touted for years that there are many businesspersons who may be siphoning off funds garnered through the drug trade and other illegal acts in offshore secret accounts.