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$11.1M in arms, ammo never supplied
I am not in a position to comment on that – Rohee
“I am not in a position to comment on that,” was the response of Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee, yesterday when asked about the status of efforts to collect the $11.1M paid in 2003 for arms and ammunition that were never supplied.
When the question was posed to Secretary to the Defence Board, Dr Roger Luncheon, he asked that the question be addressed through a specific request to the Defence Board, given that his memory was failing him.
The issue stems from the Auditor General’s 2006 Report which outlined that, since the year 2003, the (Home Affairs) Ministry made payments to acquire a quantity of arms and ammunition, but the supplier at the time of the audit was yet to deliver quantities valued at $11.160M, and the ministry has not been able to bring this matter to closure.
The Head of Budget Agency had explained that, with respect to the ammunition, grenades, shells and flares, the supplier had encountered trans-shipment problems in shipping the items to Guyana, and steps would have be taken to have the money refunded.
The supply of the stallions, which was also listed under the sum at the time, is the subject of a court matter that is yet to be determined, and Government was pursuing diplomatic initiatives to have the MTSL shell supplied.
The Audit Office had recommended that the ministry takes appropriate action to recover the value of the outstanding supplies from the ammunition supplier, including interest at the going bank rate, because of the inordinate lapse of time since the amounts were advanced.
According to Dr Luncheon, he was at the Defence Board in 2003, but, “My recollection seems dim about the procurement of the $11M worth of arms…I’ll need to look into that…I’m unfamiliar, I must admit, with such an occurrence.”
Meawhile, just last week, it was announced that the Guyana Police Force (GPF) was boosted by close to $100 million as part of efforts to enhance its ability to executed its mandate.
Dr. Luncheon announced that Cabinet had given its no objection to an award of a contract for $24.6 million to the Force for the procurement of forensic equipment.
A further $75 million was also awarded to the police force for the acquisition of arms and ammunition.
Dr. Luncheon also revealed that the Narcotics and Fingerprint building at Eve Leary will soon be rehabilitated at a cost of $25.7 million.
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