$100M paid for GECOM radios…Opposition demands audit findings be made public

Sep 20, 2016 News

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A number of questionable multi-million-dollar transactions by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) last year have drawn in the Opposition.
Over the weekend, the Office of the Leader of the Opposition called for the findings of an investigation currently being conducted by the Audit Office of Guyana to be made public.
“The Office of the Leader of the Opposition notes with deep concern the allegations of irregularity and the implications of corruption in the procurement by GECOM of a number of radio communication sets which were intended to be used in the 2011 and 2015 General and Regional Elections and the corresponding silence of the Chairman of the Elections Commission, Dr. Steve Surujbally, and the Chief Elections Officer, Mr. Keith Lowenfield, in respect of these allegations,” a statement said.
It was pointed out that as an independent constitutional body, GECOM enjoys financial, functional and operational autonomy and like every agency which is financed with public funds, must account in a transparent manner for the expenditure of these funds.
The Office of the Leader of the Opposition said the revelations would come at a time when there is an elections petition filed by the People’s Progressive Party/Civic, that is before the courts.
“We are aware that GECOM has seen it fit to expend herculean efforts and a tremendous amount of time in attempting to dismiss and/or delay the hearing and determination of the Elections Petition filed on behalf of the PPP/C because it will expose the electoral machinery and system administered and managed by GECOM to public scrutiny – an exercise which they fervently wish to avoid,” the office charged.
“In the circumstances, we welcome the decision to conduct an audit of these transactions by the Office of The Auditor General and we demand that the findings of this audit be made public.”
The $100M radio purchases became public a few weeks ago after it became known that the Audit Office had started an investigation.
Just over a week before the May 11, 2015 elections, the then administration of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) approved $99.5M for the purchase of 50 high frequency (HF) radios.
From documents seen by Kaieteur News, local suppliers were asked to submit quotes in mid-April 2015. Cabinet granted the no-objection to the award of the contract in that same month, (April), leaving GECOM just days to have the supplier order and import the radios.
GECOM insiders and Government officials insisted that based on experience and other factors, it would have been nigh impossible for the radios to have been delivered by the supplier; checked to ensure that they are operational and then delivered to the outlying areas in time for use on Elections Day, May 11, 2015.
What makes observers and others more convinced that the whole deal was a clear plot to dump old radios, that had been brought years before, was the fact the equipment needed installation in the hinterland areas.
That $100M contract was awarded under questionable circumstances to Mobile Authority, a business owned by Water Street businessman, Michael Brasse.
Brasse’s Mobile Authority and his two other businesses, M-Tech Business Solutions and Mibra Trading, were awarded almost $290M in contracts last year. He supplied toners, stationery, office equipment, electrical items, Duracell batteries and even furniture, raising suspicions of sole sourcing.
From payment records, it appeared that several of the payments could be linked to what is known as contract splitting, an arrangements where contracts are deliberately kept below a certain amount to avoid attracting attention from oversight bodies like the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB).
Several purchases for toners- for printers and copiers- by GECOM last year, supplied by Brasse are said to also be under the radar of state auditors.
It appeared that GECOM ordered the radios despite the fact that there were viable ones in its inventory.
From all indication the “new” radios, delivered last year, were never used. It is believed that those radios, bought since 2006, were dumped on GECOM in a deal involving officials there.
GECOM has remained silent on several published stories, only saying that it cannot comment as there is an active investigation by the Audit Office of Guyana.
According to top GECOM officials over the weekend, the allegations have rocked the entity.
Already, several staffers suspected of leaking information were reportedly sent on leave while others have been shifted around.
Following the breaking of the story of the radio purchases, the Australian manufacturer, Barrett Communications, through its European office, distanced itself from last year $100M transaction by GECOM.
Barrett said it did tender, but from its information the order was cancelled by GECOM.
From details seen, it appeared GECOM paid for some of the radios, at least seven times the amount that it is selling for on the local market.

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