President orders probe into drugs bond contract

Aug 11, 2016 News

– Cabinet Sub-Committee to review deal

President David Granger has appointed a Cabinet Sub-Committee to review, examine and report on a

President, David Granger

contract for the storage of drugs and other medical supplies which has attracted some amount of controversy since Monday.
Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment, Raphael Trotman has been appointed to chair the Sub-Committee. The team on the matter also includes Prime Minister, Moses Nagamootoo and Minister of State, Joseph Harmon.
The Sub-Committee met yesterday at the Office of the Prime Minister and was provided with an extensive and detailed brief with regard to the issues, needs and challenges related to the storage of medicine and medical supplies.
According to a release sent out by the Ministry of the Presidency yesterday, Cabinet was on Tuesday, briefed by Minister of Public Health Dr. George Norton on the controversial bond contract deal on which he was extensively grilled by the opposition in the Committee of Supply of the National Assembly on Monday.
This newspaper understands that Dr. Norton has made himself available to the Sub-Committee for the

Public Health Minister, Dr. George Norton

purposes of providing information and clarifications.
Sub-Committee Chair, Minister Trotman and Dr. Norton, subsequently conducted extensive inspection tours of both the Sussex Street, Georgetown facility along with the Ministry of Public Health Supplies Chain Management Complex at Diamond on the East Bank of Demerara.
The Sub-Committee is also in the process of preparing an initial report, and a further statement on the issue is expected to be presented at a post-Cabinet media briefing today.
In an interview with this newspaper, Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan said that he was concerned about the matter and stressed that “something like that should never be repeated.” He declined to elaborate.

5 thoughts on “President orders probe into drugs bond contract”

Muhammad Raoof August 11, 2016 at 6:38 am

Why is this being repeated so often? The Ministers would commit an act and ONLY when the media and citizens “kick-up a storm”:, Grainger would step in???? This really seems like a circus to me. probe and investigation after the fact, but everyone is still in place to repeat again. From the first fiasco, people should have been kicked out. Something really smelly rotten with this Coalition.
1. rs dasai August 11, 2016 at 7:54 pm
  
  MR
  This is called transparency after the fact. But transparency, never the less.
Devil's advocate August 11, 2016 at 8:52 am

PUTTING THE DONKEY BEHIND THE CART
It is profoundly lamentable that the President and Executive Branch were not adequately briefed before this contract was reviewed and awarded. I wish the President would express his displeasure of such incompetence with more harsh language.
Surujpaul Rampersaud August 11, 2016 at 10:57 am

Any investigation from within is allowing one’s self to investigate one’s self. It is like trying the devil in hell. Mr. President appoint a independent investigation. There are many ex army officers available to do this.
rs dasai August 11, 2016 at 7:53 pm

Cleve
And our AG is not competent to review and comment on the contract? If any exists.