Business Gangster

Dear Editor,

In societies where there is an organised criminal mafia, there is one standard modus operandi. Members of that society are harassed and subjected to all manner of thuggery, until they succumb to the pressure, subject themselves to the mafia, and start paying protection money to the members of that mafia. Then, they stop being harassed. In Guyana, there is no mafia, but there is an individual who practises the same methods as the mafia, but in the corporate world. I refer to no other than Guyana’s very own, Mr Know- It- All, Mr Holier- Than- Thou, Mr Belatedly- Matriculated- Attorney- at- Law, Christopher Ram. What has Mr Ram’s methodology been over the years? Using the free medium of a column space provided compliments of Stabroek News, Mr Ram has lambasted every company who is not a client of his account ing firm, accusing them of all manner of things, most of which are easily debunked, but which nobody ever has the time to bother to respond to. But, he continues to lambast the executives of companies, the managers, and anybody connected with the companies. Until when? With what aim? To what end? Well, the answers to those questions are found in the fact that he hardly ever seems to write about companies that are current cli ents of his accounting firm. And, if he does, it is not in the scathing critical terms that he writes about clients of other accounting firms. So, the implication is simple. If you are a fee- paying client of his and you pay him hefty fees, it appears that you enjoy protection from his poisonous pen. If you don’t pay him hefty fees, it appears that you will receive the brunt of his venom.

The lesson of all of this: Mr Fip Motilall and Synergy Holdings, time to change your accounting firm. And, while you are at it, time to change your lawyers too, and recruit the recently matriculated junior counsel. Although it might be a bitter pill to succumb to corporate gangsterism, it might be the surest way to get the corporate gangster off your back, even if it costs you a penny or two, as it surely will. No wonder he had to be sued over his handling of the Hotel Tower liquidation. Yours sincerely,

Dave Martindale