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Seventeen American dollars in Guyana: How primitive!
Apr 04, 2011 Features / Columnists, Freddie Kissoon
I guess the visiting Norway’s Environment Minister was innocently undiplomatic when at a joint press conference with President Jagdeo he said that 40 million American dollars is a lot of money for a small country like Guyana.
Sub-consciously what he meant was that we are so poor that $US40M is like Heaven to a land like ours. The truth about Guyana is that such a sum is a tiny amount compared to what we can earn from the international economy if we can get our politics right.
The other truth is that we are indeed poor and our policy-makers need to be wise in how they spend the finances of the State. This acknowledgement of limited resources came from the President himself. Addressing the national sports awards ceremony, he told his listeners that the Government could do more for sports but funds are not in plentiful supply.
A small state struggling with development in a post-modern world (by European and American standards) needs to devise ingenious ways of saving resources. It cannot behave as if it a highly industrialized, rich territory. The recurring problem with Guyana is that its leadership lacks dynamic vision. And once vision is not there, leadership will be ordinary. We are into forty five years of Independence yet in the 21st century we arrest suspects and have them in jail for stealing 4,000 Guyana dollars.
The official rate of exchange is $1US to $200G. The real value is different. It hovers between $205 to $210. Let us put $17US as the equivalent of $4,000G. In the Friday edition of the Stabroek News, it was reported that an employee of R.A. Soda Factory stole $4,000G. Think of the resources the State has to spend on this case.
The police had to be called in. So they use gas. Then they drive the accused to the station. Gas again is used. Then there is paper work involved at the station. Then gas was used again to transfer to the Magistrate’s Court. Paper work was again done at the court.
She was put on $85,000 bail by Magistrate Priya Beharry. I once taught Magistrate Beharry a course in philosophy when she was a law student at UG. Her introduction to philosophy would have begun with Plato’s fantastic book, “The Republic.” One hopes the Magistrate remembers the theory of justice in all those philosophers that she was lectured on in my class. It is manifestly unfair to put someone on $85,000 bail for alleged theft of $4000. But there is more to come in this primitive land named Guyana.
At the time of writing, I don’t know if the young lady was bonded. I assume she is on remand. It is logical to think so, for if she can allegedly steal a mere $4000 how can she secure $85,000 bond? Assuming that she is on remand, until her case comes up, the State has to expend resources. By the time this case is over, the State would have spent much, much more than $4000 on this accused.
In many countries, there is a simple way (doesn’t need philosophers) to deal with these extremely petty issues. The police would have a social work expert attached to their office. He/she would be summoned. If the accused admits, she/he is asked to pay back and is given a fine or a warning. If there is no such plea, the matter proceeds in court.
Of course Magistrate Beharry’s bail was onerous. In the modern world, where heinous crimes are everywhere, why burden the prison and judicial system by having a person in jail for stealing a toothbrush? Not only is this primitive, but is also extremely idiotic.
If that young lady is in jail because she didn’t post bail, she would have to mix with dangerous recidivists. When I was in the Brickdam Lock-up, I met young boys who were locked up for the most inconsequential violations including a 17-year old mini-bus conductor who told me and Mark Benschop he was incarcerated beyond the mandatory 72 hours for a mere traffic violation investigation.
This young lady will be in the remand for weeks depending on when her case is called because she stole $4000G that cannot buy her a pair of jeans. Post-colonial leaders love to criticize the white man. They love to tell you about what the white man did when he ruled the Third World. But the white man shows every day that he has more inside his brain and mind than Third World leaders.
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