Corruption high and low

Dec 30, 2025 Editorial, News

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(Kaieteur News) – The presumptive Leader of the Opposition, Azruddin Mohamed, has in recent weeks embarked on a public campaign exposing alleged acts of corruption involving government ministers.

Some of the disclosures have been startling in scale and detail. Yet, for many Guyanese, the shock lies less in the allegations themselves than in how familiar they sound. Corruption in government has long metastasised into a national cancer, one this newspaper has repeatedly exposed, documented, and condemned.

Indeed, there are moments when one wonders whether even relentless exposure is enough. But when new information emerges, implicating new players within President Irfaan Ali’s Cabinet, citizens are again forced to ask an uncomfortable question: who, if anyone, in this administration remains untainted by the scourge?

From time to time, Guyanese are treated to lofty speeches by senior officials pledging zero tolerance for corruption. We hear strong words about accountability and transparency. Occasionally, there is the arrest of a lawman almost always from the lower ranks. What we do not see are government ministers, senior police officers, or heads of state agencies being hauled before the courts to answer serious allegations. The message has been unmistakable: there are two systems of justice one for the powerful and one for everyone else.

In this environment, Mohamed’s willingness to call names and produce documents has injected fresh momentum into the national conversation on corruption. Whether one agrees with him or not, his actions provide the press and civil society with additional impetus to dig deeper, ask harder questions, and follow the paper trail wherever it leads. His current status as a Member of Parliament already affords him some institutional leverage. Should he eventually assume the formal office of Opposition Leader, that platform will only strengthen his ability to challenge the government on matters of graft and abuse of power.

This is not to suggest that Mohamed himself is beyond reproach. He remains before the courts on allegations of tax fraud and is contesting an extradition request from the United States. Those matters must be determined by the judicial process. But Guyanese, battered daily by the crushing cost of living, persistent unemployment, and widening economic inequality, are far less interested in political perfection than in understanding how their hard-earned tax dollars are being squandered by those entrusted with public office.

The concerns raised by Mohamed are not occurring in a vacuum. Earlier this year, Transparency International stated plainly that Guyana has been captured by economic and political elites, fostering misappropriation of resources, illicit enrichment, and environmental crimes. The organisation noted that Guyana slipped from 40 to 39 points on the Corruption Perceptions Index, ranking 92 out of 180 countries clear evidence that the country is losing ground in the fight against corruption.

Transparency International further observed that while Guyana has established anti-corruption laws and institutions, transparency and law enforcement remain weak, and attacks on dissenting voices, activists, and journalists are becoming increasingly common. These findings mirror what Guyanese experience daily.

In March 2024, the United Nations Human Rights Committee echoed similar concerns. While acknowledging Guyana’s adoption of anti-corruption legislation and the creation of the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU), the Committee questioned the effectiveness of the institutional framework, particularly regarding corruption within the police force and among high-level public officials. It flagged failures by the Commissioner of Information to respond to public requests and the delayed implementation of the Protected Disclosures and Witness Protection Act.

The Committee urged Guyana to address corruption at its roots, ensure impartial investigations and prosecutions at all levels, strengthen the independence and accountability of anti-corruption bodies, guarantee public access to information, and urgently protect whistleblowers and witnesses. Of particular concern was corruption in the management of natural resources especially the oil and gas sector where transparency is not optional but essential.

Against this backdrop, Mohamed’s allegations should neither be dismissed outright nor accepted uncritically. They must be investigated thoroughly and independently. What Guyana cannot afford is continued silence, selective justice, and the pretence that corruption is being tackled while it flourishes unchecked at the highest levels of power. The stakes for democracy, development, and public trust are simply too high.

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• Azruddin Mohamed, corruption, Editorial, illicit enrichment, Transparency

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