Guyana is Animal Farm

Sep 13, 2009 Features / Columnists, My Column

---

When I was growing up my mother always reminded me to do well because the law was the law and “if the law put its hand on you is done you done for life”. I grew up fearing the law.
I learnt that the law does not discriminate, that all are equal under the law. I actually believed this until I travelled a bit and read of what operates in some countries, mainly in Third World countries, until there is a change in government. Even President Bharrat Jagdeo was heard to say that the developed world firmly believes that there is rampant corruption in the Third World and the blacker the leader the more corrupt he is.
I read Animal Farm by George Orwell. A lovely story that encapsulates Guyana. Some are more equal than others.
During my lifetime I happened to meet with a number of people, very prominent people from distant lands. One was Yakubu Gowan of Nigeria. He was a statesman. He came to Guyana on a state visit and soon after, he had to flee. His government cited him for corruption and he ended up living in England. Had he not done this he would have been executed.
There were many others, not least among them Ferdinand Marcos of The Philippines. His was a remarkable story. He ruled his country for 21 years—from 1965 to 1986—and when he was ousted because of rampant corruption, he had amassed millions of dollars, some of which was returned to the country after his death.
Idi Amin, General Zia ul Haq, Benito Mussolini, and so many others were all corrupt and paid the price for being corrupt leaders.
In the United States the most celebrated case involved President Richard Nixon whose corruption did not involve money but illegally spying on his opposition. He was the most powerful man in the world but his society did not allow him to operate outside the law. He was forced to demit office or face impeachment. He chose the former.
Two days ago I learnt of the case of former President Chen Shui-bian of Taiwan. He was convicted on Friday and sentenced to life imprisonment.
Chen served two terms as president in 2000-2008. He was only Taiwan’s second directly elected president after decades of one-party rule, and is the first to be indicted and convicted.
Chen’s wife, Wu Shu-chen, was also convicted of corruption and received the same life sentence.
Chen, 58, was charged with embezzling $3.15 million during his presidency from a special presidential fund, receiving bribes worth at least $9 million in connection with a government land deal, laundering some of the money through Swiss bank accounts, and forging documents.
Wu was charged with money laundering and other graft offences. Chen’s son and daughter-in-law were also convicted on money laundering charges.
In Trinidad, former Prime Minister Basdeo Panday faced the courts on corruption charges. He was accused of spearheading a massive airport project that saw overpricing of contracts. Many of the beneficiaries are in jail either in Trinidad or in the United States.
In Guyana, never has a senior functionary faced jail on charges of corruption because for some reason, no one seems inclined to touch the so-called big ones.
I still remember the case of Police Commissioner Laurie Lewis refusing to heed an order of court. The police had seized a quantity of gold from a dealer and the court found that the gold had to be returned. The Police Commissioner refused and lawyers filed an order of contempt.
The judge, now in the Appellate Court, declined to institute the contempt proceedings, choosing instead to have another judge do that. That judge declined; no one wanted to move against the Police Commissioner. He was above the law it seemed.
There were other charges of corruption against prominent people and nothing happened. In Guyana there is primus inter pares—first among equals.
Recently Kaieteur News decided to investigate what it considered excessive pricing and is now slapped with lawsuits simply because it fingered people involved. They too appear to be primus inter pares.
I know of instances of people accusing Government Ministers (privately) of sending emissaries to collect money on contracts. Had these people not been so closed-mouthed I would have identified them but they would all say that they are entitled to their privacy. They too would shun the courts for fear of victimization (their words).
Deep Throat, the now dead famous character in the investigations into Watergate, valued his privacy too, but he spoke to reporters. His story checked out because there were investigators who operated outside political influence.
Guyana can be a beautiful country if only the rules of law are applied evenly and fairly. This absence of such application may be responsible for the crimes that are perpetuated in the country.
Why has there been no investigation into the purchase of the $60 million house? Primus inter pares. But had Adam Harris bought a $60 million house he would have been subjected to a thorough investigation and possible prosecution. And he earns more than the accounts clerk who bought that house.
At a meeting with an official of the United States embassy in Georgetown I explained that press freedom is under threat because of these lawsuits. It costs money to defend even the most frivolous and such spending over time can cripple a newspaper.
I would like to see justice distributed evenly. People come to me all the time with issues that suggest discrimination. Sometimes I am able to resolve them because I know the architects. But this should not be.
President Bharrat Jagdeo may wish to examine this state of affairs. He is said to be a man above board, a man who believes in justice. However, he always says that he would not interfere in matters judicial.
He may yet set an independent investigative body to examine the various charges and change the state of affairs.

---

---