By Samuel Gillis
Attorney General Anil Nandlall has expressed no surprise at the Caribbean Court of Justice’s (CCJ) decision to involve the government in the ongoing case with ExxonMobil regarding an unlimited parent company guarantee for oil spills.
Nandlall pointed out that as a signatory to the 2016 Production Sharing Agreement with ExxonMobil, the Guyanese government should have been included in the appeal from the beginning.
He dismissed allegations from certain media outlets suggesting the government had covertly filed the appeal and was aligning with ExxonMobil.
Nandlall emphasized that the government and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are responsible for determining an adequate amount for the parent guarantee.
He also noted that the CCJ’s order to include the government reversed a decision by the Court of Appeal, which he deemed clearly erroneous.
The CCJ has announced it will provide detailed reasons for its order soon.