Refined fuels deal at centre of US lawsuit
A US lawsuit alleges a former congressman and lobbyist misused confidential information to pursue a fuel supply deal in Guyana.Summary
A deal between the Guyana Government and a US company for refined fuels is the subject of a lawsuit in an American court. The suit, filed in Florida, alleges that former Tennessee congressman Mark Green, lobbyist Marc C. Hebert, and their firm Jones Walker LLP improperly used confidential business information while attempting to secure a refined fuels agreement with the Guyanese government. Curlew Mainstream LLC and Playera Group Global LLC claim that Green and Hebert established a competing company, Prosimos, using information obtained while representing Playera in previous negotiations with Curlew and the Guyanese government.
The lawsuit further alleges that Green and Hebert suggested they could influence the outcome of Curlew’s agreement with Guyana while Green was still a US congressman, and that they communicated with the Guyanese government to delay the deal. The plaintiffs also claim the Guyanese government presented Curlew with a revised agreement containing changes not initiated by the government.
The project, initially announced in February 2023, involved a US$300 million investment by Curlew Midstream to construct a fuel storage facility capable of holding 750,000 barrels of refined fuels, aiming to strengthen Guyana’s energy security and reduce fuel prices. The Guyanese government has remained silent on the project’s progress for over a year. The defendants have not yet responded to the lawsuit.
(Source：Stabroek News)