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Corruption must be stamped out…We will go after ever missing vehicle, bed, furniture and large sums of money
– says Nagamootoo
To those former Ministers trying to belittle the forms of corruption the Granger administration is going after, Prime Minister and acting President Moses Nagamootoo says, his Government will not be moved but rather, “go after every missing bed, every missing vehicle, every missing furniture and large sums of money illegally spent.”
Nagamootoo used the recent book launch of the former Auditor General, Anand Goolsarran, at the Pegasus Hotel on Friday last to get his message across to those in the former administration.
“Sometimes I am amused when I see the reaction of former ministers who will soon be ‘foreign’ ministers, who know that if they trivialize the level of corruption and bring it down to the level of vehicles then we would be tempted to do like the little boy who saw a bandit stumble.”
Prime Minister, Moses Nagamootoo
He continued, “When the bandit fell, his bag of money burst open and $5000 notes were flying in the air while the coins were rolling on the ground. But the little boy was going after the coins unmindful of the money flying over his head.”
The Prime Minister said that some of the former ministers, who he believes will flee to other pastures soon, want to tell the Granger administration “to look for the coins.”
“So they are saying show us the missing vehicles but we are also concerned about large sums of monies that have been spent illegally…So when we see in the news how much one can say about “small things”, it is because some people have a vested interest in trivializing the extent of corruption in Guyana,” Nagamootoo added.
Investigations are still ongoing into the allegedly illegal transfer of state-owned vehicles from the Public Service Ministry. In addition to the eight which were returned to the Ministry of Presidency, as many as 28 vehicles were transferred on May 7, last.
According to Harmon, at a post cabinet briefing, between June 19 and June 20 last, five vehicles were returned, “all except one driving in on their own steam”. Three vehicles were returned before June 19, last.
The vehicles were reportedly transferred in the waning days of the previous administration at the behest of former Public Service Minister, Dr. Jennifer Westford, to several individuals.
Minister Harmon had opined that the persons who returned the vehicles probably took the opportunity to take advantage of the limited amnesty offered by government, to have persons return state assets before they are prosecuted. “I don’t want to come after you because I want to look forward.”
“I believe some persons took that very seriously and decided to bring them in”. An audit, one of several being undertaken to account for state assets, revealed that vehicles had been transferred, just prior to or after, the May 11, 2015 General Elections.
He had said that offers to assist in this effort have even been received from persons residing overseas. “Who know where things are. In fact, every morning you (are) getting reports about two vehicles gone somewhere, they take off the number plate and somebody throw canvas over it, but we will get to all of them.”
A State Asset Recovery Programme has been set up to ensure the return of State assets, wherever they may be located. The unit is headed by Professor Clive Thomas who was recently appointed as a Presidential Advisor.
The State Asset Recovery Unit will examine all of the cases and decide on how it will proceed. “That is why I said to all persons who have government assets to bring them in,” Harmon had said.
He had said that government is interested in looking forward to the future. It is not interested in looking back. “I don’t have time for looking back, so help me, help this government in looking forward by bringing in the assets, because we’ll have to send people behind you, if you don’t!”
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