It cannot be business as usual

Feb 15, 2019 Letters

Dear Editor,

Please permit me a bit of your valuable media space in an effort to highlight another example of why better must come to Guyana.
Guyana cannot continue to conduct business as usual as we begin the transition to an oil producing country. The time is now ripe to begin addressing the appalling levels of pervasive mediocrity that characterises and permeates every sphere of life in Guyana.
Most recently, Guyana’s Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) saw the resignation of Ms Sherronie James, its leading investigator and star witness in a number of high profile corruption and financial crimes cases currently before the courts.
Ms James’s departure from SOCU followed a very much unnecessary and avoidable impasse with the Ministry of Public Security where Ms James quite understandably refused to breach (disclose the details) legally binding Non Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) she signed years before her attachment to SOCU began and consequently, to end the unnecessary impasse, she volunteered her resignation which was immediately accepted by the Ministry of Public Security.
Mr Editor, Confidentiality Agreements/ Non Disclosure Agreements are legally binding, enforceable on signatories and persons/organizations. People must treat them with the seriousness they demand. Disclosure of the detail around these agreements is strictly prohibited and breaches almost always attract substantial penalties.
With the advent of the internet, the world has become a global village and Guyanese policy makers need to realise that Guyana does not exist in a vacuum. Our policy makers need to realise that given the recent oil discoveries in Guyana, interest in Guyana is at its highest and the pervasive levels of mediocrity that dominate the public service in Guyana has to stop.
Now, after spending many millions of taxpayers’ dollars on forensic audits and painstaking investigations, are we so mediocre and naive to believe suggestions emanating from the highest levels of government that there will be success in the courts on the numerous matters Ms James was involved with?
As a practising legal practitioner I can categorically predict without fear of contradiction that these cases will now fail. This is elementary! It clearly questions our leaders’ commitment to addressing scourge of fraud and corruption plaguing our beloved nation.
As a country, when our decision makers suggest that the departure of the key witness is inconsequential to the outcome of ongoing matters engaging the courts; it is indicative of a mindset geared to failure and an indication of the mediocre state of mind of our decision makers.
It simply highlights the depths of mediocrity now common place at the highest levels. Guyana has lost all hope.
Our government needs to start demonstrating that it is a listening government.

Better must come.
Sincerely,
Tim Grant (Solicitor)
United Kingdom

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