Terrence Campbell accuses Govt. of weaponizing Police Force after calls for accountability with oil revenues

Feb 08, 2025 News

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“It shows that Guyana is heading in a direction that no serious citizen, no civic-minded citizen should want to see it go…I honestly feel the government wants a free hand with the (oil) fund, and to account for it is going to be a little bit restrictive, and so that’s why the fight is out in the public domain.”

Kaieteur News-Businessman and member of the Natural Resource Fund (NRF) Investment Committee, Dr. Terrence Campbell has accused the government of Guyana (GoG) of weaponizing the Guyana Police Force (GPF) and other crime related agencies, following his mere calls for accountability in the spending of resources accumulated from the production of oil.

“I would be lying if I said I am not shocked that the CID (Criminal Investigation Department-cybercrimes) and SOCU (Special Organized Crime Unit) are now directed at me for tax evasion and money laundering. All Guyana knows the genesis of this is the fact that I dared to ask for accountability with our oil revenues,” he said.

In an interview with Kaieteur News on Friday, Campbell chronicled a series of events that occurred since he became vocal on the need for transparency in the use of oil monies, including accusations of tax evasion, money laundering, racial discrimination and even allegedly threatening to commit murder.

The businessman recalled that around September/ October last year, after he made a social media post, an individual (name withheld), close to Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo became upset and abusive, threatening to engage the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA).

This led to him receiving a letter from the Agency, enquiring about his taxes. Campbell said he submitted his receipts and he was required to make some filings which he requested a few weeks to submit, which was later shared with the Authority. According to him, “After they realized that there were no outstanding taxes, they dug back in the file and somebody at GRA gave them that letter of tax waiver.”

Campbell made it clear that he has never evaded taxes. Instead, he explained, “There was an issue with late payment of VAT. I paid over $100M on penalties and interest and when the taxes were to be paid off, I asked for a waiver on the remaining interest. The GRA had promised I think in 2017 that once all of the taxes were paid, they would consider a waiver. Waivers of penalties are done for people often, not only in Guyana but across the world without issue.”

The businessman is adamant that at no point did he hide any revenue or falsify any accounting for tax evasion purposes. As such, he said he is considering legal action against the VP for defamation.

Campbell told this publication that he was also made aware that SOCU will be investigating him for money laundering and tax evasion. “I have since been advised that no such harassment will take place,” he added, explaining that he preferred not to state the name of the official who gave him this assurance.

In the meantime, Campbell has called on the VP to publish the names of all persons who have benefitted from similar tax waivers since he has only singled him out.

False news reports

More recently, the businessman said that he was tagged in an online news article by Guyana Daily News (GDN) in a comment made by Ameir Ahmad where he accused Campbell of racial discrimination and threatening to kill him (Ahmad).

Campbell explained that last Saturday, he made a number of posts about the land deal between former Chief Executive Officer of Central Housing and Planning Authority, Sherwin Greaves and Edul (Ed) Ahmad, a convicted fraudster in the US.

Following those comments, he said he was made to understand that he made threats to the family when in fact he had only raised questions about the business dealings of the family.

“All I have done is ask questions and in fact to any degree that he had done anything I had given him pre-action notice that I was filing a case for defamation so subsequent to that, I was made to understand that Mr. Ahmad via a post on his facebook reported me to the ERC (Ethnic Relations Committee) and secondly to the Guyana Police Force,” he said.

As such Campbell told this newspaper that he, together with his lawyer, visited the CID Headquarters on Vlissengen Road, Georgetown on Wednesday afternoon but was informed that he was not needed at the time.

After leaving CID Headquarters, Campbell proceeded to the Brickdam Police Station where he filed a report against Ahmad for fabricating reports against him.

Despite the misleading post made by the news outlet, the businessman said that he at no point visited Alberttown Police Station, nor was he arrested or placed in custody.

While on a flight out of the country, Campbell said he saw the post that he was allegedly arrested by the GPF. “That post caused my family and friends severe anxiety. There are two posts that they completely made up and Guyana Daily News is absolutely out of control,” the businessman related.

Campbell said he does not know what evidence was provided to the GPF for his alleged threats, but denied the allegations leveled against him.

He said he was told that the file has since been sent to the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP).

The businessman expressed dismay at the fact that he almost returned to the US as a fugitive due to the false reports and fabricated charges by the online entity.

To this end, he stated, “It shows that Guyana is heading in a direction that no serious citizen, no civic-minded citizen should want to see it go.”

He added, “We have a problem in Guyana whereby civility is on the decline in the way we speak to each other and so on, and when we look at the operation of trolls and I don’t know of any- and I’m not saying there aren’t any Opposition trolls- but when we look at the operation of PPP trolls it’s absolutely filthy and nasty.”

He believes the only way forward for Guyana is with inclusive governance. Moreover, Campbell is of the view that there should be civilized discussions on important issues such as the NRF or the GOAL scholarships, rather than the unhealthy debates that are carried on.

For instance, he explained, “Sometimes I think the Thursday afternoon press conferences descend into an uncivilized discussion. I heard he called the Publisher of Kaieteur News a murderer so I want to see civility return to Guyana. What is currently happening is not the Guyana I can be proud of and all parties need to really step back and come to a position whereby we can talk with each other and disagree.”

Campbell believes that government has been too hasty against its critics, especially those vocal on the oil sector. He said, “I honestly feel the government wants a free hand with the fund and to account for it is going to be a little bit restrictive and so that’s why the fight is out in the public domain…we used to do better in Guyana and we can do better in Guyana.”

(Terrence Campbell accuses Govt. of weaponizing Police Force after calls for accountability with oil revenues)

(Terrence Campbell accuses Govt.)

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• Campbell, NRF, oil, police, weaponzing

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