Latest update December 12th, 2024 1:00 AM
Aug 19, 2015 News
By Kiana Wilburg
When former Attorney General (AG), Anil Nandlall attempted to preach to the APNU+AFC Government yesterday on the manner in which they are pursuing the attainment of accountability and transparency, it saw the trading of brutal insults.
But this did not inhibit Nandlall from registering his feelings in the National Assembly during the second round of debates over Budget 2015.
Nandlall noted that the slapdash appointment of the forensic auditors, who he claimed are being paid over $200M, constitutes the biggest act of corruption by the new government thus far.
The forensic audits were started in mid-June. According to Finance Minister, Winston Jordan, they are being conducted to ascertain how the assets of the state were sold, disposed of or transferred under the previous administration.
About 30 state entities; funds and national projects are currently being audited. These include the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL), the Georgetown Public Hospital, and the Guyana Forestry Commission.
Minister within the Ministry of Finance, Jaipaul Sharma, is in charge of the team of forensic auditors. Already part of the team is Former Auditor General, Anand Goolsarran. The services of Chartered Accountant, Christopher Ram, have also been retained.
The APNU+AFC government has not leant on the country’s audit office for any help.
Auditor General Deodat Sharma had disclosed that the Ministry of Finance informed him that it has chosen to do independent audits.
“They will not be using our services. They want to do it independently. I guess they want to show that it is going to be more credible that way. It is not like the Audit Act restricts them to using us,” he had said.
Though he spoke on a number of matters within his 30-minute time frame, Nandlall emphasized that the government is currently violating the Procurement Act of Guyana which stipulates how to procure goods and services. That very Act, he cited, says that the procurement must be done through a public bidding process.
But the minute he started to frame his argument in this manner, various members from the government’s side warned, “Careful Chatree, yuh about to tread in dangerous waters”.
Nandlall, regardless of the words of caution, still followed through on his point.
The former AG said that since the process of public bidding was totally disregarded, it is clear for one to conclude that (Ministers) Jordan and Sharma have taken upon themselves, to separately or jointly, “pick a set of people and have them audit state books.”
Nandlall emphasized that the method by which these persons were appointed is not only wrong and corrupt, but is the embodiment of nepotism.
Nandlall said that what is worse is that Article 23 of the Constitution, says that there shall be an Auditor General and the public accounts of Guyana shall be audited by that person or someone authorized by him.
“Only he, the Constitution says, so if any award was done, it should be done by the authority of the Auditor General,” Nandlall said as he addressed the Speaker of the National Assembly, Dr. Barton Scotland.
He reiterated, “We speak about being transparent and no corruption, and here it is you have the biggest act of corruption committed within three months by this administration.”
His colleagues cheered and banged their tables in approval of his point, but this was brought to a quick simmer when Public Security Minister, Khemraj Ramjattan shouted, “Oh me gawd, is wuh is this? When you had yuh chance yuh de thiefin’, yuh de thiefin!”
Dec 12, 2024
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