SARA cannot investigate corruption without formal complaint, says Director

State Access Recovery Agency (SARA) says that they do not initiate investigations without receiving a formal complaint, in keeping with the SARA Act of 2017.

This statement was made, by Director of the Agency Professor Clive Thomas, in response to a letter sent to the entity by People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Chief Whip, Gail Teixeira, on behalf of Opposition Leader, Dr Bharrat Jagdeo earlier this week, where he declined to participate in the “symbolic walk” against corruption slated for later today.

SARA had earlier sent a invitation for the Opposition Leader to participate in the walk.

In Teixeira’s response to that invitation, it was outlined that the political Opposition would not participate in such a walk “while members and other public officials of successive PPP/C governments have been discriminated against, victimized, and targeted by a state-sponsored witch-hunt on frivolous, manufactured charges.”

In addition to highlighting instances of, what the PPP outlines as, ‘blatant corruption’ under the incumbent Administration, the letter directed to Thomas posited that “the passage of the SARA Act has given you, sir, enormous, in fact, super powers —something we abhor as it is in total contravention to human rights and due process- but sir you have those powers so why have you taken no action as a so-called anti-corruption champion to bring members of the present government to book? As they say clean your own house so that others can see the light and know you are serious about fighting corruption!”