ST. JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC – The union representing workers at State Insurance Corporation (SIC) has written to Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer calling for Chairman Pedro Corbin to either resign or be sacked immediately over a perceived conflict of interest.
Controversy has erupted here surrounding Corbin’ other position as general manager of the Antigua operations of Goddard Catering, a division of the Barbadian-owned Goddard Enterprises.
Goddard Catering is a shareholder in Sagicor, the Barbadian-based insurance conglomerate formerly known as Barbados Mutual.
Sagicor reportedly tops the list of regional entities being considered for majority stake-holding under government’s planned divestment of SIC.
Representatives of the Antigua Trades & Labour Union (AT&LU) and SIC employees met Friday and have expressed concerns that Corbin could use his position as SIC chairman to nudge the divestment in favour of Sagicor and, by extension, the Sagicor-shareholding parent company.
But Corbin in a “clear the air” statement on Friday said he has been the general manager of Goddard Catering here since 1983, and became chairman of SIC in 2004.
He said statements and comments from various quarters over the past two weeks have been riddled with falsehoods and inaccuracies about his involvement with the two entities.
Corbin said the division of Goddard Enterprises that he works for bears no relation to the company’s association with Sagicor.
“I have no connection whatsoever to any of the other subsidiaries or associated companies of the Goddard Group, other than those in the catering division,” Corbin said.
“Sagicor General is an associated company of Goddard Enterprises Limited, which owns 45 per cent shares, with Sagicor Life owning the remainder. Goddard Enterprises is not involved in any way in the executive management of Sagicor General. Consequently, and by extension, I have no association with or influence on anything that is done at Sagicor General.”
Corbin said that as chairman of SIC, he is not directly involved in the divestment process, which is now generating so much controversy.
“The government divestment unit, headed by Ambassador Joan Underwood, has been spearheading the divestment process of State Insurance Corporation … I am not a member of that divestment unit.
“The government … has signed an agreement with the International Finance Corporation, a member of the World Bank Group. This group is spearheading the due diligence process currently under way to identify potential investors locally, regionally and internationally,” Corbin said.
The main opposition Antigua Labour Party (ALP) has opposed the sale of SIC.
