UNCHR defends asking questions of corruption

Apr 02, 2024 News

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Kaieteur News – The United Nations Human Rights Committee (UNCHR) has staunchly defended its line of questioning during the recent review of Guyana’s periodic report, rebuffing allegations of undue influence from Guyana’s Opposition party.

Last Thursday, French Committee member Helene Tigroudja addressed concerns during a press conference, clarifying that questions were meticulously crafted based on credible sources and reliable information available to the committee. She highlighted that the methodology applied was consistent for all states party to the covenant, with queries tailored to address pertinent human rights issues.

Tigroudja stated that the committee utilizes public documents and information to formulate inquiries. She added, “And the interest of the dialogue is not to accuse any state and Guyana here in this case.”

The Committee member said too, “Sometimes we received some criticism…and I can understand that the state is not happy with the way we draft our questions. But these questions reflect some concerns and serious concerns we have in terms of implementation of the covenant in the state party. So I would say it’s the logic when the state does accept to ratify an international instrument, it also accepts to be over viewed by the Human Rights Committee as the monitoring body of the covenant.”

During his March 21 press conference, Guyana’s Vice President (VP) Bharrat Jagdeo, that United States-nominated candidate Laurence Helfer, a member of the UNCHR mirrors the Opposition’s “propaganda.”

Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Gail Teixeira appeared virtually to represent Guyana at the hybrid session from March 18 to 20.

One notable question that was posed to her by Helfer is that in relation to public frustration over Guyana’s alleged failure to investigate reports of corruption involving Vice President Jagdeo.  In posing questions about alleged corruption in Guyana, Helfer said that the human rights committee understands that the current Guyana Government had dismantled the State Assets Recovery Agency (SARA) when it took office and  in 2020 in response to concerns about its effectiveness and asked which agency is now responsible for recovering stolen state assets.

He then followed up by pointing out that the Human Rights Committee reiterates its “request for information on measures to ensure prompt and effective investigations into allegations of corruption and the prosecution of perpetrators” before stating “The committee is aware of public frustration regarding for example the failure to investigate reports of corruption by Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo”.

Helfer did not say what alleged corrupt practices Jagdeo is accused of but Minister Teixeira in her response spoke of a Vice News article that accused him of using a Chinese businessman, , Zhi Rong Su  to “cash bribes for government contracts”.  She said, “…there was no follow-up because there was no police report made by Vice News or anybody else and so police cannot investigate without some form of report or complaint.”  “However, the VP has answered this issue publicly several times in the same media that has carried these reports”, Teixeira added.

At his press conference, Jagdeo expressed skepticism about UNCHR member Helfer, stating that he does not believe that the US is concerned about corruption allegations against him.

Jagdeo said, “If Washington is concerned about it, they will raise it directly with us. We have that engagement often with the senior leadership from the White House and from the State Department, from Treasury… everywhere else. These matters have never surfaced even after, you recall, APNU sent Vice President [Kamala] Harris a long dossier they had at the Washington conference. They met with them here and they raised all the same issues about racism and we’re corrupt, and everything else.”

“I think the US is not saying it is their representative but they represented him [Helfer], but you act in your own capacity once you are there. So it is not a position that you are representing the United States of America or anybody. I believe he is from New York and the contamination was there… If you read who the members are, they are operating in an independent capacity… I think they’re stupid questions. They did not have to be asked, but they were asked… It was propaganda from the Opposition that made its way up to that Committee…” the Vice President contended.

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• corruption, French Committee, Helene Tigroudja, Opposition party, United Nations Human Rights Committee (UNCHR)

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