Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall has taken businessman Larry Singh to Court over an alleged breach of contractual agreements to supply the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) with millions of dollars in guns and ammunitions.
In a Fixed Date Application (FDA) filed in the High Court, the Attorney General said Singh was awarded three contracts totaling $380.5M for the supply of weapons and ammunition, however, only $10.9M in guns and ammunitions were handed over to the GDF. The weapons and ammunition primarily included 9mm pistols, 9mm ammunition and AK47 rifles.
The Attorney General, in accordance with the Section 10 of the State Liability and Proceedings Act, wants the Court to order the businessman to repay the State $369.6M, having breached the contractual arrangement. The contracts, which dates back to 2014, 2015, and 2016, had mandated that the correct weapons and ammunition be delivered to the Guyana Defence Force within a period of 150 days.
“In breach of the aforesaid conditions and warranties contained in the said contracts the Respondent has failed and or refused to supply the number of weapons and or ammunition for which he has received payment and he is indebted to the Guyana Defence Force in the manner more particularly set out in the Particulars of Claim,” the Attorney General told the Court.
He added: “In the circumstances the respondent stands indebted to the Guyana Defence Force in the sum of $369,604,271.00…”
According to Nandlall, GDF has repeatedly demanded that it be refunded but to no avail.
Singh is said to be a supplier and dealer in weapons and ammunition and GDF had secured a waiver from the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) for sole sourcing of the purchases in accordance with Section 28 (d) of the National Procurement Act (2003).
