PPP to SARA Head: ‘Clean your own house if you are serious about fighting corruption’
…as Opposition Leader declines “symbolic” walk against corruption invite
Leader of the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) Dr Bharrat Jagdeo, through Opposition Chief Whip Gail Teixeira, has responded to a letter sent by Professor Clive Thomas, Director of the State Assets Recovery Agency (SARA) inviting him to a “symbolic” walk against corruption on April 20, 2018.
In the responding letter, it was outlined that while the Opposition leader is supportive of any efforts that will strengthen the state’s institutional, legal and procedural framework for fighting corruption, he would not be participating in the “symbolic” walk since “it is a mere smoke screen to detract from the grossest violations of the constitutional and statutory provisions regarding financial probity, transparency and accountability ever witnessed since independence.”
Moreover, the letter outlined that the political Opposition would not participate in such a walk “while members and other public officials of successive PPPC government 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