Dear Editor,
Mae Thomas Toussaint was immediately disciplined – terminated from her position as PS at Ministry of Labour and removed from the PPP Central Committee — because of American sanctions related to corruption in Guyana. The head honcho moved with lightning speed when Uncle Sam dropped the gauntlet. But why was she the only one disciplined? Several high positioned officials (several Ministers) and other functionaries have been involved in endemic corruption from day one. What about those who turned a blind eye to corruption in Thomas’s Ministry and other Ministries? The lord of the weekly press conference has been aware of whose hands have been in the cookie jar. Was lord’s hand also in the jar? So why act only against Ms. Thomas and why not the others? Would those responsible (government officials) for the auditing of Exxon’s overstated expenses be held accountable for their failures to reclaim the money as for example the sudden lowering of a repayment of US $214 millions in unsupported expenses (by a Natural Resources Ministry functionary – the fall guy) to a mere $3 millions? High officials were not disciplined. What is the status of that investigation? Will Exxon be made to return the additional missing US $213 millions?
Why is Mae Thomas thrown under the bus and made the scapegoat? Is it because of race? Nigel Dharamlall was accused of a serious crime that is far worse than what Ms Thomas was alleged to have committed. Why wasn’t he removed from the Central Committee? Why only an African, and a woman at that? Is she the sacrificial lamb with the expectation that the matter will be forgotten and it will be business as usual, meaning a continuation of illegal financial transaction (corruption as the Americans call it) at Ministries known for pervasive corruption.
It is public acknowledgement that a PS could only have acted under orders from superiors (from their Ministry) or from a top official of the ruling party. What took place at Ministry of Home Affairs, as charged by USA, commonly occurred and continues to occur at other Ministries – steering contracts to favored contractors on orders from higher ups at party headquarters? Was the Tepui contract not steered? Will the higher ups also be disciplined? And what should happen to those who were responsible for bad decisions like, for example, approval of the purchase of used under performing power generators for exorbitant prices for GPL? The used, mal-functioned generators have made no difference in blackouts as the nation has been suffering with continuous blackouts; half of those generators are not functioning. Shouldn’t there be consequences for bad decisions or others tied to corruption?
What will happen to certain Ministers who have rendered Ministries largely as conduits for siphoning government funds. And what about the son (with an unflattering nick name – Dr. Drain Digger) of a Minister openly flaunting ill-gotten proceeds from nefarious activities to the extent of hiring real estate agents in USA to scour for properties for purchase in New York. Incidentally, several Ministers and former Ministers and a top man in a party have properties in New York and Miami under the names of others. An assistant, in charge of major construction, of a top official of a party is a front for money laundering acquiring major assets in Miami and Ft. Lauderdale, where he and his family live. Uncle Sam cannot be fooled! He takes his own sweet time to go after the corrupt. Their day of reckoning is coming.
The overseas investment of ill-gotten proceeds may have prompted the Minister’s son to invest in properties in America. And why not? It is only fair that if certain high officials can invest their loot overseas, why can’t others? Some loot is invested in Middle Eastern countries, Russia, China, and elsewhere. Uncle Sam knows who is doing what, where, and under whose name including the real owners of malls, major buildings, restaurants, fast food outlets, among others.
Would there be more actions against those government functionaries that execute payment for non-existent contracts as if the contracts were actually carried out or for incomplete work?
The public should take note that Mae Thomas was under investigation by America for facilitating corrupt deals that were directed by her superiors. Others are also under investigation. There is a list of officials and businessmen including one who was allotted a lot of land on the East Bank. What do you think can happen to Ministers, other functionaries, and businessmen who facilitated other acts of corruption? Shouldn’t those in charge of infrastructure be held accountable for their failure to prepare for the annual flooding that destroyed crops and properties and killed animals? That public paid a heavy price for damage and destruction with no accountability and discipling of line Ministers, PS, and other functionaries.
Would there be serious disciplinary actions against corrupt contractors who received contracts but could not finish the work? They have connections and believe they would not be punished. And what about disciplining those who gave instructions to grant huge contracts to unqualified so-called contractors who never built a chicken coop? Would there be disciplinary actions against those tied to failed mega projects and those making promises that cannot be fulfilled or for failure to meet promised deadlines – like the Berbice oil refinery, revamping Skeldon sugar factory, the deep-water port at New Amsterdam, gas to shore, power station at Wales, and a second gas line in Berbice, among others. And what about the US $250 million Skeldon factory that became a white elephant. Would there be investigations and prosecution? Would Berbicians and other Guyanese forget all the broken promises, corruption from the Skeldon factory, and other scams!
Yours truly,
Jerome Blackwell
