The system lacks order and one that subscribes to corruptive behaviour at the highest level

Jan 16, 2024 Letters

Dear Editor,

In her letter published in your paper on January 14, 2024, Ms. Candice Dorwish called out the government for reneging on their campaign pledge that if elected, they will renegotiate the 2016 Production Sharing Agreement with Exxon Mobil and their affiliates (the consortium)[“Exxon and Partners Allude to Tax Fraud in Guyana”]

Having detailed the existing violation of the tax law wherein the consortium is allowed to evade same and quoted as authority the Hon. Attorney General who recently stated that “It is a very rudimentary principle of law that if a contract conflicts with a Statute, the Statute shall prevail”,

Ms. Dorwish concluded her letter by suggesting that “the precedent in this country is a system that lacks order and one that subscribes to corruptive behaviour at the highest level.” Editor, while supporters of the government may take issue with this grave indictment of the administration, even rejecting same, our experience since they returned to office completely bears out her statement.

In short, the experience we refer to relates to unlawful acts committed by a commercial bank against us and our futile efforts in engaging the authorities to hold said bank accountable for their conduct. The authorities include institutions and policymakers and include the Bank of Guyana, Financial Intelligence Unit of the Ministry of Finance, Special Organised Crimes Unit of the Guyana Police Force, Guyana Securities Council, Director of Public Prosecutions, and Integrity Commission. The policymakers include the Attorney General, Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Home Affairs, Finance, Business, Governance, Prime Minister as well as the President.

In our recent correspondence to the Hon. Ms. Gail Teixeira seeking her intervention we said that “this matter has metastasized into a malignancy that has consumed several national institutions and that the corruption it has spawned has putrefied.” Referring to the inaction of the key institutions and the indifference of all the policymakers to whom we formally appealed, we said that “what exists is a sewer system.”

Published reports from the Bank of Guyana, custodian of oil revenues (Natural Resources Fund) shows that at end November 2023 the balance of the Fund stood at US$2,031,259,961.65. Guyanese ought to be concerned about the independence and integrity of these key institutions given the staggering newfound wealth now at our disposal.

We wholeheartedly agree with Ms. Dorwish’s assertion that “the system lacks order and one that subscribes to corruptive behaviour at the highest level.”

Yours sincerely,

Ronald Bulkan

Eustace Marshall, and Eon Andrews

Precision Woodworking Limited

corruptive, Eon Andrews, Eustace Marshall, Ms. Candice Dorwish, Precision Woodworking Limited

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