Declaration of assets…Integrity Commission does not exist – Granger
A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) Members of Parliament will not be declaring their assets for this year to the Integrity Commission, says David Granger, Leader of the Opposition.
Officials in public offices, including Ministers, Parliamentarians and Evaluators are expected to submit their declarations by August 23 to the Commission, which does not have a Chairman and Commissioners.
Opposition Leader David Granger:
Granger, who was very brief and assertive on the issue, told Kaieteur News yesterday that the Integrity Commission has not been appointed and as such Opposition Parliamentarians, like they did last year, will not be submitting anything to a Commission that does not exist.
He said that since he became the Leader of the Opposition, President Donald Ramotar has not discussed the appointment of Commissioners for the Integrity Commission or any other outstanding constitutional appointments, such as the Ombudsman.
Meanwhile, the Alliance For Change (AFC), which has seven seats in the National Assembly, seems to be heading in another direction. Leader of the party, Khemraj Ramjattan, said he cannot speak for other AFC Parliamentarians, but he will be declaring his assets.
According to Ramjattan, even though the Commission does not have a Chairman and Commissioners, it is no excuse to avoid declaring one’s assets. Using the Guyana Police Force to explain his position, he said if the Commissioner of Police is absent it does not mean citizens could disobey the law, likewise if the Chairman is not appointed it is improper not to declare assets.
Ramjattan said there have been arguments for confidentiality about the declaration, but the AFC believes that it should be very transparent. Emphasizing his seriousness, Ramjattan said he owns “a couple of vehicles, couple of bank accounts, a property at Number 47 Village, and some law books in my office that probably cost $15M…and that is the attitude that must be exhibited”.
He stressed that if the assets declared by the Parliamentarians and other public officials are found to be untruthful they should be jailed. He stressed that many high-ranking public officials have assets that are unequal to their salaries.
He said that the Integrity Commission is “half baked” and needs to step up to the task of verifying the truthfulness of declarations, and particularly if there are foreign bank accounts. In addition, proper investigations should be conducted to ascertain how Government Ministers and other public officials acquire their wealth.
Ramjattan said Guyana should learn from Singapore with its “Shift the Burden of Proof” that allowed the Revenue Department the power to question Government officials where they acquired their wealth.
Under the laws, public officers including the President, Permanent Secretaries, Director of Public Prosecutions, Auditor General, Commissioner of Police, the Army Chief, Heads of the Services Commissions, Foreign Affairs officials, Judges and Magistrates and Department Heads are required to declare their assets.
Also required to the submit declaration forms of their earnings and gifts received are Regional Executive Officers, the Chief Elections Officer, Mayors, Chairpersons and Chief Executive Officers of state companies, Registrars of Lands and the Commissioner of Guyana Revenue Authority, along with Presidential Advisors, and Heads of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission and Guyana Forestry Commission.
The idea behind the declarations is to ensure that no official has suddenly acquired large amounts of cash or property without proper justification. But Opposition Parliamentarians and many observers believe the Commission is a toothless poodle.
