It would be regrettable that such a poor country would be subject to such levels of corruption

Jul 17, 2015 Letters

Dear Editor,
As an international management consultant I have done some work in Guyana over the last several years, and have found Guyana to be a beautiful and hospitable country, though much needs to be done to improve quality of life for the poor. I have seen how hard many people in government and the private sector work to improve economic and social conditions. As such, I pay close attention to political developments, and most recently media publications about the Ex President’s claim of $7,466,700/US$36,423 in lieu of travel, for return first-class carriage to London for himself and spouse, as a pensionable benefit. I myself have traveled first class on a number of occasions to a number of destinations, including Guyana from Europe, during the peak and off-peak seasons, hence my interest in the claim.
I will not comment on the issue of whether the Ex-President should have been paid for a ticket for a spouse that does not exist, but rather the sizeable amount of this benefit, presuming the reports in the press are accurate.
The amount quoted for a first class return fare Georgetown to London, presumably during the airlines’ peak seasons when the fares are substantially higher, appears, from all indications, to be an obscene inflated amount. On the presumption that the highest fare and quotations were used (British Airways for instance) one person’s solo return fare would well approximate to $2.7M. The cheaper solo fare is likely to be under $2M. And this is with reference to first class fares quoted and not business class fares.
It is standard practice in Government administration when a person is actually travelling to seek a minimum of three quotes, sourced from acceptable, established travel agencies or airlines, and the lowest quote is typically used? By extension, the same principle ought to be applied where a monetary substitution will accrue to a beneficiary in the form of a payment.
To better understand the claim, a number of questions need to be answered: How many quotations were sourced? And from which travel agencies? Who sourced these quotations? It obviously defies logic and perpetrates a semblance of fraud for the beneficiary to source their own travel tickets. Furthermore, who approved these payments? The payer would be as guilty as the payee if he was a party to what could potentially be considered criminal action in a civilized society. Were checks made with the travel agency to determine routing of the flights? Were the routings revealed on the quotation submitted for payment? For example, does the routing inexplicably state Georgetown, Port-of-Spain, New York, Toronto, and London, deliberately prepared by a travel agent to attract a higher fare?
Though not excusable, such white-collar irregularities are not unheard of, and if indeed the case here, it would be regrettable that a poor and striving country as Guyana would be subject to such levels of corruption. It also begs the question whether similar practices may be occurring in other high offices, such as the judiciary, where similar benefits obtain. Not to disparage the country, but I believe it is of the greatest disservice to your county, for persons to arrogate themselves with power and arrogance, while stealthily, perpetrating what may be a criminal offence, and at the same time piously representing themselves as a model of morality, intergrity and virtue.
Brian Nelson

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It would be regrettable that such a poor country would be subject to such levels of corruption

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