Dear Editor,
The two missives on institutionalized corruption (KN, November 13) are very disturbing and warrant immediate action. They appear on the same day that President Ali addressed the private sector, announcing that government will establish an agency or some kind of body to combat corruption. The two courageous letters involve Ministries of Public Utilities and Agriculture on government transpired corruption (and nepotism). There must be an immediate inquiry. Individuals closely tied to these ministries are known to be involved in corruption. Millions of American dollars were confiscated in USA two years ago when family members appeared with huge amounts of cash to purchase property; they could not account for the cash and the Fed seized the money as well as cancelled their visas and deported them.
President Ali and Vice President Jagdeo know that corruption is a significant and pervasive problem in the government, leading to public mistrust, reduced government effectiveness, and increased poverty. They know that bribery, embezzlement, and government misuse of resources are common. The public continues to pay a bribe to access services. But neither the President nor the VP has been taking effective action to eliminate corruption. It is not forgotten that the VP himself was accused of corruption in the Mr. Su documentary.
It is well known that several Ministers and chairs of regions as well as CEOs of state agencies have multiple companies, feeding off the state, being awarded most of the state contracts; the companies are in the names of friends, families, and trusted people. They also own mansions and multiple investment dwellings. One very high ranking official has twenty-seven companies; they are managed by a discredited highly corrupt doctor who heads a government agency and who was accused of corruption between 2013 and 2015 as director of an internationally funded program to control malaria; he resigned from the job after our then government launched an investigation into corruption. Why hasn’t this individual been sanctioned by USA for fraud? Several ranking officials demand a cut in every major contract; even ‘gangsta granny’ coming from Ontario has sought her 10% cut.
On corruption, Guyana is listed as number 94 of 180 countries in latest report by global anti-corruption body, CPI. Almost every Caribbean country, except Haiti, is ahead of us on corruption ranking; we are number 10 in the Americas. Corruption, says CPI, has a close relationship with poverty rate; the UN says almost half of Guyana live below the poverty rate. That is not surprising given the hate incidence of corruption.
Is President Ali really serious about combating corruption? If so, when will the anti-corruption body be established? Will parliament and the opposition have an input? Will it be independent from ruling party control? Will its members be persons of integrity or acolytes of the ruling party? And speaking of parliament, when will the President allow the Opposition Leader to be appointed?
If President Ali is serious about eliminating corruption and nepotism, then he should order an investigation into the two incidents reported in the media about corruption in Ministries of Public Utilities and Agriculture.
Yours Truly,
Jerome Blackwell
