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Dear Editor
The Minister of Public Works, Bishop Juan Edghill is responding to the statements made by the former Minister of Public Infrastructure David Patterson, in relation to gifts purchased for himself and former Junior Minister, Annette Ferguson during their tenure.
David Patterson’s failed attempt to exonerate and shift blame by separating himself from the Agencies that he oversaw is not even being accepted by the gullible among his support base. His “slip is showing” as our respected elders would say. Notice is also taken of his second statement which came later in the day and is now seeking to obfuscate. This is another exercise in futility, and clearly expresses to the world the depraved mentality that is being nurtured.
There is nothing racist about making public, the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. It is what the people of Guyana expects and rightfully deserves.
For the record, it is my considered opinion, based upon the facts that I shall state in this missive that Mr. Patterson is guilty of (a) misuse of Office, (b) abuse of privilege, (c) misconduct in public office and (d) deception when caught. The jury will pronounce on this matter. These are the facts.
In a statement, Patterson said, “It has also come to my attention that it is further alleged that I received a number of electronic items, such as phones, ipads and laptops. This is absolutely untrue, and I have categorically denied it. Whoever fabricated this lie obviously does not know that for security and other reasons, I do not accept electronic of any kind from any agency, including the Government, and I have always personally selected and purchased all electronic items I own. For instance, for this reason, I did not accept a mobile telephone offered by the Parliament to Ministers.”
Remember the famous statement from David Patterson that he does not wear jewellery? Subsequently, photographic images surfaced with him sport jewellery on social media.
Patterson’s words lack consistency, they are void of facts and it would seem as he is a stranger to the truth. The documents presented will show the real facts of what transpired over the past few years.
Mr. Patterson, during his tenure as Minister of Public Infrastructure, received from Agencies under his control, gifts and personal items totaling $2.646M.
In May 2020, while the country was experiencing post elections fiasco and in the middle of Court cases, gifts were purchased for the Minister’s birthday by the Maritime Administration Department to the tune of $704,292. These are the kinds of gifts Mr. Patterson accepted and says “followed the rules”. Why weren’t the value of the gifts ever questioned? Where is his moral compass?
On the same date, there was another gift purchased for $387,486.
On 4th May, 2017 a gift was purchased for the Minister by the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), another agency that fell under his purview. That gift was purchased in the sum of $117,200 from King’s Jewelry and even had Patterson’s initials ‘DP’ engraved.
May 3rd 2018 and May 4th, 2018 two purchases were made and the voucher said payment for gifts for Minister Patterson’s birthday and the figure attached was $300,000.
There is a letter signed to the Maritime Administration on May 3rd, for the approval of the gifts.
The Transport and Harbours Department also purchased gifts for Patterson on May 4th, 2017 in the sum of $76,818. On May 6th, 2020 while squatting in office, illegally pretending to the people that he is the Minister, received another gift for $54,720 and the receipts are there to prove.
The Cheddi Jagan International Airport on the 7th May 2018 made a purchase for a cross pen for $25,000 which is in moderation.
The two former Ministers took gross advantage of their position and severely abused the treasury of the Demerara Harbour Bridge and other agencies between June 2015 and July 2016. The items purchased for the Ministers include:
Apple Ipad air $213,000
Dell laptops (2)
Television set
Printer
Cocktail tables
Dresser
Rugs
Book Shelf
Samsung Galaxy phone valued at $203,000
Vacuum Cleaner
King bed set
Mattress
Chest of Drawers
I am not in a campaign to ruin Patterson’s reputation; he did that by himself when he lied to the people of Guyana. Nobody has a political agenda against Mr. David Patterson. He is trying to use politics to obfuscate his abuse and misuse of public funds.
Patterson needs to do the decent thing and resign as Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee. The AFC needs to disclose if this was the standard that they set while in Government and they need to say if this is wrong or acceptable.
The Integrity Commission Act is clear that you must declare any gift of US$50 or more in your annual declaration for the year that you received it, and if you don’t, you have made a false declaration, which is a criminal act and you can be prosecuted in the Court.
As a citizen, I am calling on the members of the Integrity Commission to investigate if these gifts that were given by agencies in the Ministry of Public Infrastructure to David Patterson and Annette Ferguson were declared. If they weren’t declared, let the law be followed. I expect to see charges and prosecution.
Minister Patterson must answer to the people of Guyana, these questions. Even if he did not know the cost of the items that were presented to him, why didn’t he ask questions when he received a gift certificate of $516,000 from the Maritime Administration Department, cashable to King’s Jewelry World on May 8, 2019.
Did Patterson go window shopping and later told the Maritime Administration what he wanted, so that this specific amount could be granted? Or did they allow the Minister the privilege to go on a wild shopping spree with the tax payers’ monies?
Secondly, why when caught rather than being remorseful, he denied, deceived and attempted damage control by making damning accusations that impugned the character of the Heads of Agencies, saying that you never received any jewellery when the records will show that every May during your tenure, in a religious fashion, items especially from King’s Jewellery were purchased at sums that are documented on invoices and traceable to payments made and cheques drawn. Mr. Patterson, it would appear your hand is in the “cookie jar”.
Mr. Patterson should tell the country if he made his declarations of these gift items to the integrity commission in compliance with the Integrity Act and if he did not, why?
Fourthly, Mr. Patterson who said that he played no role and had no knowledge of these items and wants us to believe that they were guided by Cabinet, Ministry of Finance and Board decisions should produce copies of such documents that enables him to get donations and gifts from agencies under his control amounting to millions of dollars.
Mr. Patterson should be every aware that it is not an Edghill vs. Patterson thing, it is the records of agencies vs. his fairytale stories. The records are not lying.
Fifthly, Mr. Patterson should tell the nation when he would ever develop the capacity to speak the truth about any matter whatsoever.
Contrition is a path you should take my brother, not seeking to invoke sympathy by using the “black cloak”. Racism and reverse racism is unacceptable at all times. The fig leaves did not cover your nakedness.
Regards
Juan Edghill
Minister of Public Works
