Cops get training in public procurement

Sep 19, 2024 News

Some of the police officers during the two-day training

 …topics covered include debarment, contract award and management

Kaieteur News – Amid growing concerns about procurement at the Guyana Police Force some 45 police officers recently benefitted from a two-day training in public procurement.

Members of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) included representatives from Finance, Administration, Procurement, Marine, Office Mess, Criminal Investigation, and officers from all ten administrative regions of Guyana. In a press release the Public Procurement Commission said the training emphasizes the national importance of enhancing public procurement practices and aimed at bolstering efficiency and integrity of procurement operations. Held at the Officer’s Training Centre, Eve Leary, Superintendent, Bharat Persaud of the Guyana Police Force and Mr. Dwight Dodson, Head of Operations at the Public Procurement Commission (PPC), presided over the opening of the training. Also in attendance were: Assistant Commissioner Khali Pareshram, Head of the Guyana Police Force’s Strategic Planning Unit; Senior Superintendent Himnauth Sawh, Head of the Transport Workshop; and other personnel from the PPC. In opening remarks, Superintendent Persaud highlighted that the training programme is designed for members of the force stationed across various regional divisions with responsibility for procurement while Dodson highlighted the importance of getting acquainted with the procurement process and related laws in order to improve the system and build capacity simultaneously.

The training was tailored to equip participants with the skills and knowledge essential for navigating and improving procurement processes while ensuring that they are better prepared to execute their duties effectively, the press release stated. According to the PPC, the initiative not only enhances institutional capacity but also contributes to fostering accountability and transparency across government agencies, especially the Guyana Police Force.

The training sessions were conducted by a team from the PPC, including Dodson, Ms. Esther Osborne (Attorney-at-Law), Mr. Antonio Yhan (Training Officer), Mr. Prakash Sookdeo (Procurement Specialist), Mr. Savion Paddy (Civil Engineer), and Mr. Davindra Singh (Procurement Specialist).

The programme covered a wide range of essential topics, such as: public procurement legislative framework; administrative review, and debarment; best practices in public procurement;  fundamentals of public procurement; the procurement cycle;  procurement process and methods; strategic procurement planning; procurement plan development; thresholds, tender boards, and tender openings; tender evaluation and contract award; contract management and monitoring and reporting in procurement.

“This initiative reflects the PPC’s ongoing commitment to fulfilling its constitutional mandate, as outlined in Article 212AA (1) (b) of the Constitution of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana. The Commission is dedicated to promoting awareness of procurement rules, procedures, and special requirements among suppliers, contractors, and public bodies. Furthermore, Section 17(2)(c) of the Procurement Act, Cap. 73:05, empowers the PPC to organise training seminars on public procurement,” the release noted. The PPC said it remains steadfast in promoting transparency, accountability, and efficiency in the procurement of goods, services, and works across the public sector.”Through these training programmes, the Commission aims to strengthen procurement practices and contribute to the sustainable development of Guyana.”

Conflict of interest

Only recently this newspaper reported that as the investigations into alleged financial irregularities continue against Acting Deputy Commissioner of Police, Calvin Brutus reports surfaced that the Ministry of Home Affairs was aware that a company connected to the senior officer’s wife was a supplier to the Force.

Kaieteur News learnt that indeed the wife of the officer was a supplier to the Guyana Police Force and this has been ongoing for close to a year with the full knowledge of very senior officials of the ministry. It is unclear what systems were used to facilitate this process but vouchers being processed by the Guyana Police Force for suppliers and contractors for other services supplied, passed through a number of offices within the Guyana Police which all fell under the purview of Brutus before he was transferred.

One such company, whose vouchers and payments were processed, is South Quata Contracting & General Supplies Inc. the company that is owned by Brutus’s wife. The vouchers once processed at the Guyana Police Force, will then be sent to the Ministry of Home Affairs, more specifically, to the Office of the Permanent Secretary.

Kaieteur News was told that sometime last year, two officials at the ministry had met with Brutus to facilitate the process of ensuring that his wife was added to the list of suppliers to the Guyana Police Force. According to reports, key figures within the Ministry of Home Affairs then contacted officials at the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board who later issued a document that placed South Quata Contracting & General Supplies Inc. as a legitimate supplier to the Guyana Police Force.

Back in July during an address at a police symposium, Minister of Home Affairs, Robeson Benn called out the Guyana Police Force (GPF) over questionable accounting practices, bribery, and corruption and vowed audits and investigations into the alleged malpractices. “The core issue is at the level of the quality of policing,” the minister stated during his address. “Not quantity in terms of how many police are out there, but the quality of policing.”

A letter from the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board approving Brutus’ wife’s company as a supplier to the Guyana Police Force

Benn acknowledged the diversity of the GPF’s training, which has included input from the UK, Canada, India, and China. “The question is the quality of our policemen and women,” the minister said.” According to the Home Affairs Minister, the most pressing issue is concerning procurement practices and financial accounting within the GPF. He said despite the government’s efforts to address these problems, they have not received the necessary cooperation or response from the GPF leadership. The minister revealed that he has made numerous requests to the GPF leadership to address these issues, but has been met with delays, undermining, and a “disregard of the things we want you to do.”

“There is a significant problem,” Minister Benn declared, vowing to launch reviews, investigations, and audits into the GPF’s procurement processes and financial practices. He further added, “If money goes to places it should not go, it means that there is massive collusion and corruption. We want new accountable policing; we want new and improved and honest work done. We want to see that the paper trail is not fraudulent because we hear a lot of issues and I know there is a lot of turning back of invoices where you cannot verify what was said to have occurred, occurred. The Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) is currently conducting an investigation into allegations of financial irregularities by several police officers.  To date, several persons have been questioned during the probe.  At the same time, Brutus remains off the job after proceeding on leave to facilitate the investigations.

• cops, finance, procurement, public, training