PHILIPSBURG:--- Reliable information reaching SMN News states that the Supervisory Board of GEBE ordered the Management of the Government owned company not to pay for the vehicle that the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Rene Gardener purchased without getting clearance from the Supervisory Board.
According to information provided to SMN News, the CFO was not even informed of the decision taken by the board and when the dealers for the vehicle inquired about their payments through the CFO who purchased the vehicle he contacted the bank who are supposed to make the payments and it was only then he was informed of the instructions given to the bank by the Supervisory Board of GEBE. SMN News also learnt that the Supervisory Board even took away all the signing power from the CFO since they found out about the way he dealt with the purchase of his car.
On December 4th, 2014 SMN News published an article stating that the CFO purchased a 2015 Lincoln MKC for $45,000.00. However, GEBE's policy clearly states that members of the management team cannot exceed $30,000.00 when purchasing vehicles for themselves. SMN News learnt that the CFO made an arrangement with the dealer to have the first $30,000.00 paid and the remaining $15,000.00 will be paid in installments over a period of six months.
SMN News further learned that the CFO tricked the Chief Operations Officer (COO) Romelio Maduro by telling him that the Supervisory Board had approved the purchase and he was the only one left to sign off on the purchase. However, Maduro and Gardener got into a huge argument which almost turned physical on December 3rd, 2014 when the chairman of the Supervisory Board confronted him about the purchase and he Maduro realized he was tricked by the CFO.