APNU+AFC is most corrupt Govt. in English speaking Caribbean – PPP
Leader of the Opposition, Bharrat Jagdeo
The People’s Progressive Party (PPP) yesterday pronounced the Coalition Government as the most corrupt Government in the post-independent English speaking Caribbean.
“We say without any fear of contradiction that this is the most corrupt Government, which has ever held office in independent Guyana,” the PPP noted.
Corruption under this Government, according to the PPP, has reached to such alarming levels that the March 2018, U.S State Department Report’s International Narcotics Control Strategy identifies Government corruption, for the first time in Guyana’ history, as one of the main source of money-laundering.
“In short, we have a Government of money-launders,” the PPP outlined in a press statement.
The media release from the PPP came days after the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) filed charges against on Wednesday against former Finance Minister, Dr. Ashni Singh, and former head of the National Industrial Commercial and Investment Limited (NICIL), Winston Brassington.
Both men served under the PPP Government and are accused of selling prime state lands to private developers below market price and without property valuation.
In three short years, according to the PPP, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) + Alliance For Change (AFC) Administration has managed to completely by-pass the public procurement process, mandated by law, and has handed to its cronies and financiers, hundreds of contracts to the value of billions of dollars.
“Indeed, its corruption is only surpassed by its incompetence,” the PPP stated.
The party listed a series of events which it said points to corrupt practices.
The PPP described the Coalition as a Government that refuses to submit itself to the Integrity Act, which requires the submission of their assets and earnings of Ministers and public officials.
Further, the party stated that the Government voted against a Motion, tabled by the PPP in the National Assembly, which called upon all Members of Parliament (MP) to disclose their Integrity Commission submissions as well as their income tax submissions for the past 10 years.
Additionally, the PPP stated that the Government surreptitiously stashed in a secret bank account, US$18M, received from oil giant ExxonMobil as a signing bonus and uttered not a word about it to the public, for over a year, until the information was leaked to the press.
HEALTH
The party outlined that in one single transaction, the Minister of Health, Volda Lawrence ordered the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) to purchase $620M in drugs and pharmaceuticals supplies from an identified supplier, without any resort to the procurement process.
The PPP stated that the Minister then shamelessly and publicly accepted a gift of a freezer from the supplier to store some of the pharmaceuticals. What is worse, the pharmaceuticals were acquired at a cost of over 100% more than their market value.
Further, the PPP pointed to the Government’s decision to rent a house in Albouystown for $14M per month to store pharmaceuticals. The opposition noted that the house can only yield a rental of approximately $100,000, on the open market.
The PPP stated that over $300M has thus far been paid in rental for this bond.
“Again, there was no resort to any form of procurement, in relation to the rental of this house in Albouystown,” the PPP stated.
This very landlord, the PPP stated, is a member of the People’s National Congress (PNC). The landlord, according to the PPP, rents a building from a sitting Minister, which is situated in the heart of the city, for $800,000 per month.
D’URBAN PARK
The PPP noted that Government expended over $2B of taxpayers’ dollars in the construction of the D’Urban Park facilities and established a company that was given the major construction works under this project, comprising a Minister and known members of the PNC.
“Again, there was no resort to any form of public procurement. Despite repeated demands, they cannot produce any credible records to the office of the Auditor General, in relation to this project,” the PPP stated.
“Whenever this Government resorts to the procurement process and it does not yield the contractor of their choice, it manufactures a reason to scrap the process and restart it until the desired contractor is awarded the contract.
“At the level of the Regional Tender Boards, this practice is even worse. The Regional Executive Officers are allowed to manipulate the process so that cronies and party loyalists are awarded the contracts.
“This Government has surreptitiously negotiated a petroleum sharing agreement with Exxon Mobil and for over a year refused to make it public despite thunderous public pressure. Dozens of questions have been raised about this contract, but this Government has persistently refused to answer any of them.”
The party said it observes the deafening silence of former crusaders against corruption, in the face of the massive corruption, which permeates the Government.
“We further ask the public to note that whenever these crusaders and others, troubled by their consciences, speak out against the corruption now taking place, they duplicitously make a comparison with the PPP/C Administration as to create a veneer of balance,” the PPP stated.
Given the matters outlined by the PPP, the party questioned the audacity of the administration to accuse others of corruption. The PPP accused the Government of manipulating the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) and directing SOCU to institute fabricated and malicious charges against political opponents and highly qualified professional Guyanese, who have served their country and their people with distinction.
The Jagabaat only now like a day late and a dollar short is hearing that Guyana is 'the' drug/money laundering capitol. He just wake up and rub cow shit on his face calling others shameless to accept a freezer as a gift when he him self accept container loads from perp Ed Amad.
The current regime just copy cat his running - no procurement process, handing out contracts, to cronies, giving Booby Ramroop exclusive pharmaceutical contract without bids etc.
