Corruption will remain rampant unless it becomes intolerable – Ramon Gaskin

Oct 11, 2013 News

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 “Police can’t enforce laws because the Force is corrupt”

Financial Analyst, Ramon Gaskin is of the opinion that corruption cannot be suppressed in Guyana unless a consciousness is developed at a level where corruption becomes intolerable.
He opined too that the Police Force is some distance away from being able to enforce laws against corruption as the body itself is corrupt.
His views were solicited as a case in the United States of America, which bore a striking resemblance to the current situation in Guyana, ended in a former Mayor being sentenced to 28 years in prison.

Former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick was yesterday sentenced by a federal judge on his conviction for public corruption charges including bribery and extortion.
Kilpatrick, 43, was held in custody since his conviction in March on two dozen charges that included racketeering conspiracy, mail, wire fraud, extortion and tax crimes.
He was doomed by his own text messages, which revealed efforts to fix deals for a pal, Bobby Ferguson.
Contractors said they were forced to take on Ferguson as a partner or risk losing lucrative deals. The government alleged that he in turn shared cash with Kilpatrick.
Kilpatrick, who served as mayor from 2002 until 2008 fattened his bank account by tens of thousands of dollars and traveled the country in private planes.
Agents who pored over bank accounts and credit cards said Kilpatrick spent $840,000 beyond his salary during his time as mayor. Defence attorneys tried to portray the money as generous gifts from political supporters who opened their wallets for birthdays or holidays.
The government said Kilpatrick also tapped a nonprofit fund, which was created to help distressed Detroit residents, to pay for yoga, camps for his kids, golf clubs and travel.
The former Mayor “spent lavishly at the helm of a conspiracy that damaged Detroit’s reputation and cost taxpayers millions of dollars,” Judge Nancy Edmunds said, adding that the sentence was intended to send a message that corruption won’t be tolerated.
“A man with the charisma and ability of Mr. Kilpatrick chose to use his talents on personal aggrandizement and enrichment when he had the potential to do so much for the city,” Judge Edmunds said before imposing the sentence.
Similar to that case of fraud and embezzlement, last year six senior Mayor and City Council (M&CC) officials were handed letters to proceed on leave by the Ministry of Local Government.

That followed the discovery of fraud within the M&CC. The fraud was revealed through an investigation headed by Keith Burrowes and supported by Ramon Gaskin.
The investigation was sparked by allegations against the then Town Clerk and Treasurer by the Auditor General.
Gaskin had back then told the media that the affairs of M&CC were “all round nasty.”
Important documents, including cheques could not have been accounted for. Among those was a cheque for the sum of $500,000 that was paid to M&CC for the sale of scrap metal “notably the incinerator.” Gaskin’s report indicated that the cheque was never deposited into M&CC’s bank account.  It stated that other monies paid to M&CC were never deposited.
Gaskin had also discovered scrap metal fraud, fuel fraud and overtime fraud.
M&CC had been under investigation many times before and Persaud said that the police would have continued investigations and worked closely with Gaskin.
Gaskin told Kaieteur News yesterday that he sent his report to the Crime Chief, Seelall Persaud. He noted too that the police took a ten-page statement from him, but did virtually nothing with it.
Gaskin noted that corruption exists worldwide, but is seemingly most tolerated in Guyana. He stressed that America, England, China, France, Germany “all those first world countries have corruption, but when it is spotted it is dealt with.” He said other countries don’t allow, tolerate or encourage corruption.
Gaskin added that the police force has to be silenced as too much corruption exists in that body.
A source in the Auditor General’s office told Kaieteur News that the contents of an investigative report done by that body warranted prosecution “but…”
Contacted yesterday, a police rank expressed, “We can’t stop corruption.” The rank said that efforts to fight corruption go down the drains “when you lock up a man, a big one would call and say loose he…so when offered (a bribe) you gah tek and let the person go on their merry way because you end up being the fool when you have to loose them and the same money you refuse or li’l more going to the bigger boss.”

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