Benschop sticking to story of corruption at Agriculture Ministry, calls for Minister Mustapha “to pack up and go”

Social activist Mark Benschop told Village Voice News he is sticking by his story that there is corruption at the Ministry of Agriculture and it is unlikely Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha, may not be aware of the scandal.

This publication reached out to Benschop, following a statement issued by the agriculture ministry that the social activist made unsubstantiated claims, targeting the Ministry’s Head Office, including the agriculture minister and other staff members.

The owner of 107.1 FM and host of “Straight Up with Mark Benschop” evening programme, yesterday posted on his station’s Facebook page, that there is a developing story about massive corruption in the ministry, allegedly totaling some “$150 Million Chicken and Egg fraud uncovered by a recent audit.” According to Benschop’s report, the minister and two other staff members are allegedly involved.

The ministry said it categorically denied the allegation, stating that the ministry and its Head Office are not involved in the purchase or sale of chicken or eggs, as implied by the post. According to the ministry, “Responsibility for these matters falls under the jurisdiction of the Guyana Marketing Corporation (GMC), which is managed by General Manager Ms. Teshawna Lall.” Benschop is not buying the story.

He countered, that “the minister should not be allowed to extricate himself from the scandal because the GMC falls under this portfolio.” The talk show is calling on Guyanese not to allow the minister to absolve himself because the blame falls directly at his doorstep. “The minister must stop pussy footing and be transparent with the public,”  the social activist asserted.

Benschop said he believes it is hardly likely the minister has been kept in the dark about the audit and its finding. He referred to the ministry’s statement that the “Minister 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.” According to the talk show host “who do they really think they are fooling?”

In making an analysis of the statement Benschop said there is sufficient acceptance the minister knows corruption was happening at the GMC, which is under his portfolio, hence the investigation. Further, the social activist said, the minister “must make public the findings, then back up his bag and go.”

However, the ministry said it believes Benschop’s statement is unfortunate and misleading “ as it seems intended to distract from the ongoing investigation at the GMC,” and asked the public “not to be swayed baseless accusations and to await the outcome of the official investigations, which are being conducted with the highest level of integrity.”

An undeterred Benschop said he doesn’t care what the ministry believes, he cares about the truth. Further, he expressed that corruption in Guyana is rampant, sucking the lifeblood of the masses and leaders must be answerable. The social activist is also pushing back against what he said is a tendency of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) government to accuse persons of being supporters of the opposition when corruption is exposed.

The ministry in its statement referred to the talk show host as “a known APNU [A Partnership for National Unity] activist.” An unfazed Benschop said he wants it to be known he is “an activist for Guyana, good governance and end to racism and corruption by the installed regime. That is what is hurting the corrupt cabal at Freedom House”

Guyana’s ranking on the Transparency International Corruption index is very poor. There was some improvement in eliminating corruption during the A Partnership for National Unity and Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) coalition government but the numbers are trending in the wrong direction again under the Irfaan Ali government. Guyana was first ranked the most corrupt country in the English-speaking Caribbean during the Bharrat Jagdeo presidency.