Dear Editor,
It is now clear why the APNU/AFC regime has been reluctant to release the reports of its forensic audits. These audits were set up because the two parties that form the Government today have fallen victim of their own lies and the vicious and sustained attacks launched by the media. The forensic audits have not uncovered any fraud in the entities they have thus far investigated.
Many of the auditors employed by the regime are well-known critics of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic and the PPP/C Governments. Those ‘hit men’, when they failed to find fraud, have resorted to slander, insinuation and gross distortion.
The latest example is the report appearing on May 30 on the E-Governance Project.
Instead of emphasising that no evidence of fraud was discovered, the newspaper chose to speak of the Project Manager’s salary. The main idea was to get at the PPP/C Government, thus the screaming headline “Ramotar’s Son…”
What is most disturbing is the unethical, unprincipled and unprofessional manner adopted by these forensic audits.
In most cases, the auditors did not seek to interview the persons who were in charge of the various entities. The heads of these bodies were not asked for explanations and/or clarifications. To date, most of them were not even given the courtesy of perusing the reports.
Those persons who were questioned promptly responded, but they were just as promptly ignored and not made public for public viewing and assessment.
On June 1, 2016, in another section of the media, former CEO of the Guyana Water Inc, Shaik Baksh, bemoaned their attitude, pointing out that in areas where he was written to and responded, the report did not include his responses.
This is similar to what was done to Mr Winston Brassington, whose responses concerning the NICIL reports were ignored and not published for public viewing.
In the latest report on the E-Governance Project, they failed to point out that the Project was completed on time and within budget. The team that executed that project was a small one comprising six persons. Their work should be commended.
As far as the salary of the head of the project is concerned, it is far below what the present head of the unit is receiving. Additionally, he inherited a completed project.
Mr Alexei Ramotar’s highest salary was approximately US$3000 per month. However, it has been reported that the present head is receiving some US$15,000 (G$3,000,000).
This amount is some 500 per cent more than what Mr Ramotar was paid.
Given Mr Ramotar’s holding a Master’s Degree in Mathematics and Computer Science, his monthly salary of G$600,000 was modest. It pales in comparison with that of the present head of that unit.
Moreover, as mentioned above, the team, under the PPP/C Administration, comprised six persons. Under the present Administration, the size of the unit has grown three-fold. Now, middle management personnel salaries are bigger than what the head received under the PPP/C Government.
The regime has gone on a wild spending spree, including creating jobs for the boys and high increases in remuneration for their friends. All this is being done amidst their talk of inheriting an empty treasury – a great contradiction to their tales of corruption.
The dilemma of this regime and their supporters in the media is that the audits that they have brought into being have exposed the lies being peddled by the APNU/AFC and the media, particularly the Kaieteur News, which led the crusade on corruption. Those reports have proven to be highly exaggerated and false.
But it is clear that this regime has no interest in fighting corruption.
If they were and if they are interested in finding out if the PPP/C Government was involved in corrupt activities, then they would not have voted against the motion put by the PPP/C in Parliament calling for international auditors to audit all Government books.
If they wanted to fight corruption, why did they reject the PPP/C’s motion in Parliament calling for all Members of Parliament (that should have been extended to senior personnel in Government) to declare their assets, both locally and abroad?
Persons found falsifying their declarations should face mandatory jail sentences. The APNU/AFC voted against this motion.
The regime is probably afraid that most of their members would find themselves in prison should that become the law. It is, therefore, impossible to escape the conclusion that the APNU/AFC is not interested in fighting corruption.
The most important thing is for them to try to throw mud at the PPP/C, to continue to make numerous charges of corruption. Cheap policies are more important than real action.
The audits ordered by the regime have clearly exposed its lies as report after report has revealed the same thing – no evidence of corruption.