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The story of the alleged $150 million chicken and egg corruption scandal at the Guyana Marketing Corporation (GMC), broke by social activist and talk show host Mark Benschop, has taken on another twist. Tuesday, Benschop, owner of Radio 107.1 FM wrote on its Facebook page that GMC has allegedly unearthed “$150 million Chicken and Egg fraud,” involving Minister of Agriculture Zulfikar Mustapha and two staff.
Yesterday, the Ministry of Agriculture issued a statement denying Benschop’s story. According to the statement, the ministry and its Head Office are not involved in the purchase or sale of chicken or eggs, as implied by Benschop. The statement also denied the involvement of the minister and two staff, which Benschop rejects.
The ministry said responsibility for purchasing chicken falls under the marketing corporation which was acknowledged in a subsequent statement issued by the corporation. However, the GMC falls under the preview of the Ministry of Agriculture which is Benschop’s contention. He told Village Voice News yesterday he believes it is unlikely the Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha, may not be aware of the scandal.
The ministry is taking responsibility for a purported audit by the corporation. Its statement advised: “Minister [Zulfikar Mustapha] initiated an audit and investigation into certain irregularities and discrepancies within the GMC [and that] It is important to note that this is a transparent process to ensure accountability and rectify any administrative lapses.”
Within hours after the ministry’s statement, GMC issued a statement refuting the claim Mustapha “initiated an audit and investigation into certain irregularities and discrepancies within the GMC.” The GMC’s said “The initiation of the audit and investigation was led by [its] General Manager – Ms. Teshawna Lall.”
Further, the GMC, via statement made known that after repeated requests by Lall and team for documentation and reports on the issue yielded no result, the general manager commenced the internal audit.
The GMC said it has proactively addressed the concerns of financial irregularities by starting with an internal audit and investigation.
The GMC plays an essential role in stabilising prices in the economy and is the only authorised body to import Chicken into Guyana.
Reached for a comment on the latest development, Benschop told this publication, he “knew from the beginning the minister was not telling the truth.” This is another reason for the minister to “pack up and go,” the host of ‘Straight Up with Mark Benschop,’ asserted.
The GMC promised “updates on the investigation will be provided as they become available. The marketing agency is requesting the public’s patience, trust and understanding during this process.
As the story unfolds it reveals that not everything said by high-ranking members of the Government can be taken as truth. Or, as said in local parlance “should be taken with a grain of salt.”
