U.S. cites Guyana for not seizing property obtained through corruption

Mar 10, 2012 News

– Report says political, judicial structures have narco-influence

The United States says it wants the Guyanese government to enforce laws against money laundering and financial crimes.
This suggestion came as U.S. agencies issued another damning report on Guyana regarding narco-trafficking, saying the country’s political and judicial structures have been impacted by the narco-trade and that the economy too is affected by narco dollars.
In the 2012 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report (INCSR), the US State Department has noted that while Guyana is a party to the Inter-American Convention against Corruption, it is yet to fully implement its provisions, “such as seizure of property obtained through corruption.”
Guyana is also a party to the UN Convention against Corruption.
The report notes that as a matter of policy, the Government of Guyana does not encourage or facilitate the illicit production or distribution of narcotic or psychotropic drugs or other controlled substances, or the laundering of proceeds from illegal drug transactions.
“News media, however, report on allegations of corruption; some reports have implicated police personally in stealing drugs from seizures, while others point to high government officials who are not investigated and thus go unpunished.”
The report noted that U.S. agencies look forward to tangible progress on extraditions, security sector and judicial capacity enhancement, the engagement of at-risk communities, “and enforcement of laws against money laundering and financial crimes.”
The report stated that Guyana continues to be a transit country for cocaine destined for the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, Europe and West Africa with cocaine from Colombia smuggled to Venezuela and onward to Guyana by sea (fishing vessels, bulk cargo vessels and tug vessels) or air.
Because of Guyana’s porous borders, smuggling is also conducted by land from Brazil and Suriname into Guyana, the report noted, adding that once cocaine arrives in Guyana, it is often concealed in legitimate commodities and smuggled via commercial maritime vessels, air shipments, human couriers, or the postal services.
The report said that drug trafficking organisations based in Guyana are beginning to use neighboring Suriname as a major distribution hub where Suriname is used as a stash location and distribution country for drugs entering Guyana.
The report noted that The Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Act (AMLCFTA), the Interception of Communications Bill and the Criminal Procedure Bill were designed to enhance both the investigative capability of law enforcement authorities and prosecutors’ ability to obtain convictions in drug related cases. However, in 2011, there were no convictions under these laws, “and there is an apparent lack of political will to investigate and prosecute drug trafficking organizations.”
The government of Guyana signed a maritime counter-drug bilateral agreement with the United States in 2001, but has yet to take the necessary domestic action to bring the agreement into effect, the report noted.
Approximately 352 kilogrammes of cocaine and 393 kilogrammes of marijuana were seized in 2011.
As a result of these seizures, the report noted that Guyanese authorities have cases pending prosecution against 16 mid-level and senior drug traffickers.

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U.S. cites Guyana for not seizing property obtained through corruption

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