Parcels of land given to friends

Too much wrongs in Guyana.

Land is being given away to friends of the Government. Our understanding is that Airfan,Robbie, Brat and the 5 bees are giving and getting everything.

The latest cause for concern in a strip of land on the embankment of the canal at Montrose. If one were to take a drive to that area, you will find a gated community being developed there - from the public road to the seawall, east of the canal.

Who owns that "reserve"? Who gave it to whom - and when? Was it gazetted?

With our penchant for flooding, how will that canal ever be cleaned? I guess, the poorer residents on the western side will have to have their homes bulldozed in any flooding emergency.

More to it than meets the eye. Deals and Deals!

When will the Integrity Commission lets it independence guide it to drag the Head of Staff with his ‘assets’ before it?

A President who merely makes less than a half a million dollars a month on his day job is busy tying and knotting deals with his cronies and friends that his expected to full his pockets at some time or another.

We know that he got himself a little of the Guyana Times pie as Guyana Times TV Plan to set up a Berbice operation. A new office space is being built.

We know that he has cut himself several sweet deals and owns properties in and out of Guyana. He is negotiating another sweet deal with Russian Powers and would see a fibre optic cable coming from Brazil. This man would be making more money!!!

We were also informed of this connection to the Russian owned Rusal. Connection we say but hidden in that, word is director of the Bauxite Company.

Now as the story about Rusal’s involvement in a hydro power plant breaks we wonder about that else is not visible to the eye.

Stabroek News of Wednesday May 19 has an interesting and though provoking story. It says that a letter between a Gianfranco Miceli of Business Development of a Brazilian Company, Andrade Gutierrez and RUSAL’s General manager Alexex Gordymov talking about building a hydro power plant in the Middle Mazaruni. This isn’t the only revelation. According to SN who we will quote their article says that there are talks about two consortiums involving RUSAL, GUYANA GOVERNMENT and Brazilian owned ELECTROBRAS.

In fact, the Brazilian Company said that it is ready to go ahead.
This is despite no announcement by the government, no reports of Environment Impact Assessment and oh wait, No tendering.

There must be a Memorandum of Understanding somewhere around.

There are some pieces of the puzzle as put together by Stabroek News.

“In the letter dated May 14, which was seen by this newspaper, Gordymov told Miceli that he hoped that their meeting in Miami in March this year was productive and at least the parties could exchange their intentions and recognise how they could move the project forward. He recalled that despite efforts they could not find any amicable solution at the time. He recalled that during the March meeting it was understood that one of the crucial points for Miceli was to get Electrobras to be part of a consortium. He mentioned the building of a smelter. After numerous internal reviews and discussions, they would like to continue dialogue on the main principals, Gordymov said.

He outlined six points. According to the letter, Consortium A would be created with three main stakeholders: Electrobras, the Government of Guyana and Rusal. “This consortium would be responsible for developing the Hydropower Plant and distribution of energy”, Gordymov wrote. He said the consortium would build a 3000MW hydropower plant which would be done in three phases.

He said that the first 1000MW would be sold to Brazil “beside what is energy required by Guyana” and the second 1000MW “(probably less)” would go to the smelter. The third 1000MW would be sold to Brazil, he said.

He outlined Consortium B – which would be created between the government of Guyana and RUSAL for the construction of an aluminum smelter. “RUSAL would control the consortium”.

According to the letter, Consortium B has a right to declare an option to use energy in the second phase of up to 1000MW “in case smelting capacity will be built before commissioning 2nd phase”. Such an option has to be declared no later than six months after the commissioning of the first phase, Gordymov outlined. He said that if this option is not declared by Consortium B within that time then Consortium A has a right to use the energy of the second phase at its own discretion. In this case, the third phase will be developed by Consortium A when Consortium B decides that the smelter is needed, according to Gordymov.

He said that the Consortiums will enter into a written agreement where Consortium A will guarantee to supply power to Consor-tium B in the requested amount for smelting but no more than 1000MW at a cost basis price.

“We will appreciate your feedback on this message and would like to point (out) that we are ready to develop further this project in case you accept (the) above main terms”, Gordymov wrote. He added that any final deal is subject to contract. “

We say there is no way this could have even past our dear President’s ears.

Press Release: 'Peter' Vs Nicola Jang

POLICE PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICE
Police Headquarters, Eve Leary, Georgetown
Tel: 225-5401 or 227-2685
Email: propolice247@yahoo.ca

PRO: May 18, 2010

News Editors,
PRESS STATEMENT

Acting on information received the police obtained and executed a search warrant on a building owned by Mr. Peter Ramsaroop at 261 Forshaw and New Garden Streets, Queenstown, Georgetown, yesterday.

The building houses several apartments and the police were only able to access one occupied by Nicole Ming, female, 19 years, the sole occupant. The search revealed the existence of three covert cameras. One hidden in a clock on the wall that obtains a panoramic view of the apartment, another hidden in a radio in the bathroom and a third focusing on her bed.

Nicole Ming indicated that she rented the apartment about two months ago from Mr. Peter Ramsaroop and about a week ago he requested that she leave her keys as he had to fix an electrical problem and on her return she observed an instrument on the wall with a light flashing.

She also stated that about two weeks ago she had replaced a battery in the clock in which one of the cameras was found and the camera was not affixed at that time and complained that Mr. Peter Ramsaroop may have been recording her.

The police became suspicious that Mr. Ramsaroop may be in possession of pornography and may be distributing pornography and consequently obtained warrants to search his apartment as well as his office at Land of Canaan, East Bank Demerara. At the time he was overseas and upon his return on May 17, 2010, the warrants were executed in his presence by the police who seized two computer hard drives and a digital video recorder from his apartment and two computer hard drives from his office.

Mr. Peter Ramsaroop has denied the allegations of possession and distribution of pornography and indicated in a written statement that he once used the apartment to house an office for his employees when he installed cameras and did not remove all of the cameras when he rented it to Nicole Ming.

He is currently on $20,000.00 cash bail pending investigations.

Ivelaw Whittaker
Public Relations & Press Officer

Political conspiracy? Or plain old wickedness?

These two questions feature prominently as news broke tonite about cameras found on the premise of AFC member Peter Ramsaroop.

A woman, Nicole Ming, an employee of Guyana Times and a personal friend of a very senior official claimed that she was being spied on. She occupied a garage that was also an office owned by Ramsaroop where she paid a rent. She claims that she noticed cameras and believes that she was being spied on.

What is so tricky about this situation is that the woman at the centre of the allegations is known for her personal relationship with this very senior and influential public official.

They were in Lethem together and she recently travelled to a neighboring country to meet him and her boss, her good friend.

We have seen a police report which said that three cameras were found in the apartment as the police probe how they were placed there and by whom- Ramsaroop? well, it is his property.

But something is not right about this story. We know that the woman reported the matter to the senior official and it was him to alerted the police.

What we don’t understand is how she was renting Ramsaroop’s apartment in the first place when she was dating the said official for more than two months.

Was it a well-orchestrated planned? Were the cameras placed there at someone else?
The quick action of the police is notable like we have seen in the CN Sharma matter and wonder if this is how the PPP intends to take down their opponents as General Elections near.

State ads

Read this carefully and do as we tell you! We hope you are wearing trousers with two pockets!

Now reach into one pocket and take out that little change you have there, yes those same crummy $20 bills, now put them in your other hands and place them into your other pocket.

Done?

Well, that’s exactly the situation with the now 22% government advertising that has reached the ‘privately’ owned Guyana Times Newspapers. http://www.stabroeknews.com/2010/stories/05/16/guyana-times-received-22-of-state-ads-in-april/

You get the picture yet?

Well boldly we are gonna draw that picture for you.

The Champ President has taken tax payers money once again and it putting it into his own pockets, this time under the guise of Guyana Times that he owns with his good friend and crony Bobby, the doctor Ramroop.

Nothing else could explain the sudden injection of cash into this almost dying media entity. A newspaper whose circulation is not even matched with the Guyana Chronicle!

The sweet joys of ‘cronism’!

We wonder what explanation it will be this time?

Sugar and the Nation

The Diamond Sugar workers have no one but themselves to fight this battle against Guysuco. Its almost 4 months now since the workers having heard about the closure of the Diamond Estate asked the Sugar Company for their severance.

The Turn Around Plan (TAP) had listed the closure of that estate along with other East Demerara Estates and the Union had deliberately kept it a secret.

The workers didn’t wait on the Union to take to the streets to demand their severance and that is when the Union realized the workers were prepared to fight the company it drafted itself into the protest.

Now it is at the forefront of calling on the Sugar Company to pay the workers their severance.

Some are of the view that the workers are not entitled to their severance. These few are those who have misinterpreted the Severance Pay Act.

While the Act does say that if the employer offers alternative work to the employee, severance may be negotiated, it also says that such work much be able to pay the employees the same amount of money or more but there must not be extra labour, working hours or hazardous conditions.

By now we all know what the Diamond Workers have said, they simply prefer their severance than to work at LBI, with among their reasons being a decrease in their actual working hours.

In a most comical action recently, GAWU has announced that it will be moving to the courts, this is after Guysuco said that the Union knew of its plans to close the Diamond Cultivation and move workers to LBI, even suggesting publicly that the Union was in agreement of this move all along.

What does GAWU do? Pretend that it has exhausted all of its negotiating skills and announce it will go to court, the scenario for you? Well you be the judge of this and tell us who is really serious

The PPP Union takes the PPP run Sugar company with legal support and advice from PPP lawyer the esteem Aston Chase S.C

You be the judge and tell us who is making a mockery of the workers.

Forget the cake shops, deal with the issues

We are falling in love with the approach of Stabroek News. Not that Kaieteur News is not doing a good job.... but these last two editorials of Stabroek News are analytical, pragmatic and honest.

We think soon both newspapers will lose their Gog ads.... if only Kaieteur joined the struggle a little while back on the ads.... in unity lies strength. Both Stabroek News and Kaieteur News should join in the fight.... if the Gov't pulls ads, then they, in effect, wont be placing ads, because no one reads the Guyana mis-time and the lying-chronicle. Unite fellas!

Here is Stabroek's editorial of May 17, 2010
There would likely have been many cake shop owners and patrons who would have been bemused and taken some offence at President Jagdeo’s recent description of reportage on the controversial Amaila Falls deal as cake shop journalism. After all, cake shops not only provide heavenly fare such as salaras, sponge cakes, buns and frosty beverages on sweltering days; they are also a forum for important community discussions. Perhaps, the reporters covering the Amaila Falls shenanigans should take the president’s remarks as a solid compliment.

The President is an old hand at trying to demean valid criticism and never tires of trying. One would have thought that in the week when he was quite properly recognized by his cabinet colleagues for his UNEP award he would have been more accommodating of those who are asking important questions on behalf of the people of this country.

If one were to follow the cake shop analogy it may be the case that the President sees his government as the delicatessen or patisserie. That’s all well good but it doesn’t infer that it is any more scrupulous or vital than the humble neighbourhood cake shop. Moreover, the bar is set higher for the government; it runs the country and must be accountable all of the time to all of its people; not only the reporters and the stakeholders in the cake shop.

This brings us to the question of accountability and Guyana’s appearance before the United Nations Human Rights Council last week in Geneva. Several years ago the government gave a commitment to improve the timeliness of its reporting to the various UN treaty bodies and at the same time to extensively canvas Guyanese on all issues to be reported on. It failed comprehensively to do this. Last week its delegation surreptitiously flew into Geneva without a word to the public or without the report which was to be the subject of the relatively new Universal Periodic Review being distributed locally.

If the government thought it would have escaped piercing scrutiny of its woeful human rights record it miscalculated big time. The information that it tried to keep from the Guyanese public was readily available and so were embarrassing questions by heavyweights such as the UK and Canada and a statement to the committee by the United States.

Numerous questions were put to the Guyanese delegation including concerns about extrajudicial killings, police brutality, rights of the indigenous peoples, violence against women and children and discrimination against the lesbian and gay community but in the rarified Geneva atmosphere the bombshell would have been the recommendation in front of the committee by the United Kingdom and Canada that Guyana convene an independent probe of the abuses committed by the phantom squad between 2002 to 2006 and to ensure that those responsible are brought to justice.

This call by London and Ottawa is what the PPP/C government has obstinately and quite improperly refused to institute. Despite numerous appeals locally and the patent need for such an enquiry the Jagdeo administration has filibustered at every turn and thrown in red herrings such as the need to investigate abuses going far back into the past. When calls were made for a forensic probe of the Clico (Guyana) collapse President Jagdeo said he would acquiesce if the PNCR agreed to one of Globe Trust. When his bluff was called there was no change in his position.

He may want to continue with his refusal to agree to an inquiry into the phantoms as his term in office is swiftly coming to an end and he doesn’t need to face the electorate again. In so doing, however, he is leaving the ruling PPP/C with an enormous burden to bear and no matter which party wins the next elections there will have to be a full-fledged inquiry into the phantoms. In the same manner that rigged elections was the albatross on the PNC, the operations of the phantom squad will be the PPP’s millstone as the present government has failed to convince the public that it had no ties or knowledge of what was going on.

For those who would immediately rebuff this argument by asking what about the other criminals who ran amok after the prison-break in 2002, we say that all of the arcane violence of that period must be properly investigated and as far as possible the masterminds, the triggermen and the accomplices brought to justice. The stupendous violence of that period traumatized the lives of many thousands of Guyanese on a daily basis. Many scars remain. Many voids have opened in many lives only to be filled by gnawing emptiness. Many questions remain about the direction of the violence and its intersections with sections of society. An inquiry would provide a catharsis that the entire nation needs, except that this government remains fearful of what could be revealed especially when it contemplates what the recent drug trials in New York have revealed about the underworld here and its connections with officialdom.

Whatever happens, the government now faces a bigger problem than the media and political parties clamouring for an investigation into that period. The clamour is now resounding in the halls of the human rights council in Geneva and the call is coming from the United Kingdom, Canada and others. As is evident Washington, London and Ottawa have become increasingly irritated by the stance of the government on human rights and security issues most recently manifested by the UK’s decision to withdraw its offer of security sector assistance. The pressure by the western countries will undoubtedly grow and could have unpleasant repercussions on aid and other forms of cooperation with Guyana.

It is revealing that many of the same human rights issues that besieged the PNC confronted the PPP/C government last week in Geneva and it was left to its spokespersons to trot out lame excuses. Responding to the questions, Foreign Minister Carolyn Rodrigues revealingly said that in relation to the “so called” phantom squad the government wished to indicate that the “allegations are currently being addressed and investigations are ongoing…The public has been invited to assist in providing information that will aid in the successful completion of the investigations”. Really? This is the type of statement that President Jagdeo might have intended to label as emanating from those wonderful cake selling shops. It is high time that this government shrugs off the cake shop talk and deal with the substantive issues. Is it now ready to order an investigation into the phantom squad and all of the associated violence of that period?

Adoration

We respectfully quote the entire Stabroek News' editorial of Sunday May 16, 2010.

Public adulation, extravagant receptions, congratulatory advertisements, laudatory billboards – what head of state could ask for more? If it weren’t for those pesky, geriatric critics gulping down their bitter brew in the dark recesses of their favourite cake shops, our President’s cup would have ‘runneth’ over and left him standing knee-deep in a syrup of flattery.

Certainly no president since Burnham has been the recipient of this amount of public ‘adoration’ – and no one needs to be told how popular he was with large segments of the population, especially in his later years. Both the Jagans as well as Hoyte were very unpretentious people, and while the protocols necessary for a head of state were observed, there was none of this level of glorification. While President Jagdeo has won a UN award, for which he deserves appropriate congratulations, it appears to have gone way beyond this, and been made the excuse for a major publicity campaign to exalt him in the eyes of the populus. But why, one wonders? Has he been such a failure that his spin-doctors find it necessary to try and boost his reputation to distract from his poor image? If he had a good image in the first place, then it would hardly seem necessary to go to these lengths. After all, why gild the lily?

And what about the President himself? What does he think driving around Georgetown seeing these billboards sprouting like mushrooms bearing his own face smiling back at him? Does he not feel even a tad uncomfortable? Did he ask whose genius of an idea this was? And most of all, did he ask whether the taxpayers were footing the bill for this bit of seeming narcissism? Or is this a generous donation from one (or more) of his admirers? If it is, who gave permission for the city’s parapets to be utilized for this purpose? The Mayor and City Council?

All of this may play well with the President’s support base, and perhaps even with the Amerindians who are geographically removed from the political shenanigans of the Lower East Coast, and whose dancers are brought down to perform at the adulatory functions, but surely the spin-doctors know that this kind of saturation acclaim really convinces no one else. In fact, it may succeed in alienating them further; many will see it for what it is: an example of rank propaganda. Have the architects of this campaign forgotten so soon what it was like during Burnham’s days? How the population took all the promotion of personality and the fawning by some noisy disciples with a pinch of salt? How they picked up the Chronicle every day and read between the lines? How they watched with a cynical eye as the motorcades and outriders zipped past at full throttle?

So again, what are the spin-doctors trying to accomplish? Surely they don’t think that because the foreigners have given the President an award, the local population will be overwhelmed. Can they seriously believe that Guyanese are incapable of exercising their own judgement? Despite what they think, in the end the electorate of this country is primarily concerned about what he does now and has accomplished here, and where that is concerned elements of his record are in question and will not be erased by any number of outside awards. It might be mentioned in passing that in any case the UK only last week asked for an independent inquiry into the phantom squad at the UN meeting in Geneva.

It might be said that this whole campaign is coterminous with a sudden flurry of projects, foremost among which is Amaila Falls, closely followed by a revivified Marriott Hotel. The most problematic of the two by far is the first-mentioned of these. As was asked in SN’s editorial of April 19, for a project which has been hovering around for about thirteen years, why the sudden rush now? Amaila will involve a huge undertaking and has been promoted by a small company which has absolutely no experience with hydro facilities and at best could only act as a middleman. Mysteriously it has recently been awarded the preliminary road project for Amaila although it appears to have no experience in road-building either. Despite persistent questions asked by a variety of sources, there have been no clear answers from the government.

Is this what the hagiography campaign is all about? Distracting from Amaila? Or is it for the benefit of an overseas audience which would have to provide the funding? Is the message: here is a President who has accomplished great things on the environmental front, not just abroad, but at home as well; the Amaila Falls project forms a part of this, and he has the unequivocal support of a grateful population? Even if that were what the propagandists wished to convey, it does not answer the question of why the haste to take on Amaila at this late stage?

We have, of course, a national election supposedly coming up next year. Is this campaign connected to that – in some labyrinthine way?

An award for the forest while Guyana sinks lower

The United Nations has long and respectable history. Having replaced a failed League of Nations, the United Nations under various stewardship over the many decades have investigated some of the world’s most horrific crimes against humanity.

And, the United Kingdom has recently recommended that the Guyana government independently investigate the death of more than 400 Guyanese and asking the government to bring the perpetrators of the death squad killings to justice.

But there is an obvious double standard that the United Nations and its members have overlooked. It is with no doubt that the dictator they awarded the Champion of the Forest award, is the person who has stifled the essence of a democratic society.
We know the UN is fully aware of the existing situation in Guyana as contained in the Gay McDougal Report of 2009.

In that report, McDougal examined the racial complexity of the society and listed a number of what was believed to be racial discrimination as complaints of the violent deaths of hundreds of Guyanese were also brought to her attention.

The UN is aware that the PPP government shot down the McDougal Report and even attacking the professional who spent time in Guyana meeting officials including the government.

The existing hold of the government has on the state media is no secret either to the United Nations.

Guyana has a very poor record with the onlookers and it ranges from the withdrawal of the ads to the independent Stabroek News, closure of CNS Ch 6, the refusal to address Broadcast Legislation, the manipulation of the State Media and the constant threat to media houses by the Head of State himself. And more recently, the steady increase of state ads to the Guyana Times, well-known best friend of the president.

These are no secrets.

Several international bodies have ranked Guyana’s corruption - both government and other wise, the crime situation and the delicate investment situation but yet the double standards that exist awards a dictator with an award. On first look that award is unjustifiable - and a large part of the LCDS money is being spent to "honor" Jagdeo for his award. Yet, it has to be a cruel joke that he gets an award for the forest - trees and animals, while the people are starving and the nation sinks in a rot of corruption that the awardee is himself a part of.

It is a timely reminder that there is no helping hands - but our own to ourselves.

Great walls of China

Chinese walls have been erected - not by Beekay - but by Jagdeo.

Guyanese would remember the huge chinese wall that was thrown up by jagdeo around the GuySuCo Skeldon factory. No Guyanese has full details of the Skeldon factory (how much money was spent, what were the contract details, how much materials was sold on site by the chinese, how much was removed to ministers and businessmen's properties, etc).

That virtual wall around the Skeldon deal has never been conquered.

Then there is the Russian deal. One man flies to Miami on a monthly basis to meet with the Russians. SUVs await certain officials at Miami airport on their touchdown. No guyanese knows the full quantum of bauxite that is mined and exported by the Russians - they have collaborated with the Miami traveller and the President to build a Chinese wall around the Rusal deal.

There has been many others - stadium money, geeta knight's squandermania, huge property acquisitions in miami, the fippin motilal (US15million) etc.

Last week there was the announcement of Jagdeo's deals with a Chinese firm for his 47million cable project. No feasibility study, environmental study, long term planning is in place for this deal. Someone will obviously make millions, so the Chinese (literally) are employed to build a chinese wall around the cable project.

I wonder if this is the same company that is doing GT&T's infrastructure - and if it is, then maybe it is another chinese wall - that there is a hidden deal between GT&T and the Government.

Chinese walls are going up everywhere. We hope that one day the walls will fall like Jericho walls. But please, Savior, let it fall on their heads - and forgive us for these sinful intentions since we are surrounded by Chinese walls.

Sparks from the beekay

Seems like we should be expecting some sparks to fly between the GoG and beekay. The wharf that died is not beekay wharf but GoG wharf.... or part of it, according to beekay.

I guess as a big contributor to PPP finances, beekay can sometimes say what he wants.

These monopolies

How Quaint!
A country with government owned monopolies.
1) Sugar – the sugar monopoly: beaten into submission by Burnham. Breathed under Hoyte. Boomed under Cheddie and Janet. Beaten to death by the Jagdeo-ites. A failed monopoly.
a)Jagdeo government paid million$ (management fees) to Booker Tate administration.
b) This same government collected millions from EU for the sugar industry
c) This same government took away guysuco land and paid for it with workers’ wages.
d) This same government collected SUGAR LEVY totaling more than that collected by the entire 28-years-PNC-government.
e) Jagdeo runs GuySuCo from his office, OP, since the chairman of GuySuCo (who has no business experience) operates from the office of the president.
Reason for all of this? Simple: the sugar workers are not pro-jagdeo

2) Electricity – owned by the Government, run by the Government.
Head of the GPL is:
i. The behind-the-scene-part-owner of another company
ii. The prime seller of government properties
iii. The owner of an island (really).
iv. The main broker for russkies
Another failed monopoly that cannot function even with the millions of sugar workers dollars being poured into it.
Political twist: the GPL is a black-people company.

3) Water: run by Jagdeo-ites.
Another failed monopoly that pays millions for sweet deals. Investigate the prepaid contracts handed for manufacture of pipes. See who got the contract.

Next time we will discuss GT&T, Gold board, health, etc.

Meanwhile, let us investigate how much land Lumumba really owns, how much property Brassington owns and how much contracts and $$$ are paid on a prepaid fashion to Atlantic.

PPP's track record analysis

The track record to the PPP in recent times is a cause for concern!

While the government cannot be directly blamed for some of the issues facing Guyanese, an obvious political directive in every sphere of life in Guyana plays a role in life's determination. Examples of government involvement can be found in private deals, public deals, foreign investment, policing, judicial judgment and much more.

2011 is expected to be another election year - but we wonder if this and other political parties would be judged by their almost inactivity.

For the ruling PPP the Amnesty Internation Universal Periodic Report does not say much for governance among other critical issues facing Guyanese. Here are the
Recommendations to the government of Guyana:

The death penalty
- To immediately establish a moratorium on executions with a view to abolishing the death penalty as provided by UN General Assembly resolution 62/149, adopted on 18 December 2007 and resolution 63/168 adopted on 18 December 2008;
- To commute without delay all death sentences to terms of imprisonment;
- To immediately remove all provisions in national law which are in breach of international human rights law, in particular those that provide for mandatory death sentences,
- To ensure rigorous compliance in all death penalty cases with international standards for fair trial are respected.

Human rights, sexual orientation and gender identity
- To repeal all provisions allowing for the criminalization of same sex relations;
- Repeal all provisions, including Chapter 8.02 section 153 (1) (xlvii) of the Summary Jurisdiction (Offences) Act, which are used to discriminate against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons.

Violence against women
- To expedite passage and implementation of the Sexual Offences Bill;
- To ensure the coordinated implementation of the National Domestic Violence Policy.

HIV/AIDS and human rights
- To combat discrimination and stigma surrounding HIV/AIDS and particularly against members of the LGBT community.

Excessive use of force by the security forces and impunity for human rights violations
- To ensure that all complaints of human rights violations by the security forces are subject to immediate, thorough and independent investigation and, if state agents are charged with such crimes, that their cases are brought to trial in an expeditious manner;
- To conduct a fully independent investigation into human rights abuses allegedly committed by a ‘death squad’ between 2002-2006, and to ensure that those responsible are brought to justice and that witnesses and their families are offered effective protection in all these investigations;
- To ensure that members of the Guyana Police Force are adequately trained on the appropriate use of force and firearms in accordance with international standards, including the Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law enforcement officials.

Ratification of international human rights instruments
- To ratify the following international treaties: the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (and to remove reservations to its First Optional Protocol); the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women; the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment; the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography; and the International
Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance;
- To ratify the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, both of which Guyana has already signed;
- To ratify the American Convention on Human Rights.

Why we must not get old in Guyana

If there is anyone to be charged for neglect it could be the entire government - or in this case, the Human Services Minister Priya Manickchand!

We often wonder if these people have a conscience, perhaps a couple days at the Palms Institute for the Elderly should wake them up along with a monthly pittance of $6000.

It is an atrocity on our old folk, little pension from the government, little or sometimes no pension from NIS(always some computer glitch or scam there), no subsidies the Guyana Power and Light Company and little help from Guyana Water Incorporated, little medical help from Health Centres and no food stamps.

But we want to look at the care of our elderly when they are placed in the Palms.
Why?

Well because we feel that we do not need to quote any bias press reports but to look at the Performance and Value for Money Audit report that was complied by non other that the Auditor General’s Office.

From this report we understand that over $55 million was spent on this facility annually to cater for over 240 elderly folks.

While $50 million is not a budgeted sum we understand from the Report that a sum is allocated to the Home based on the budget allocated to the Social Services for the year and the sum allocated to the Palms is at the discretion of the Human Services Ministry.

In fact, donations to the Palms, would also play a part in the allocation of public funds to its coffers.

What is striking is that there is no proper record keeping at the Palms. The Auditors found that there were no annual reports, no reports on intake of members, no reports on the deaths of members and no reports on donations.

In fact, when the Auditors visited the institution they founds hundreds of walking aids and canes discarded in a mostly appalling fashion under the Palms.

In addition to this, there is no potable water, food is not readily available and staff most times have to prepare meals based on what is available and not according to dietary menu.

Don’t ask how the food is transferred and in what conditions is it given to the inmates!

The Palms buildings and compounds are hideous and requests to the Human Services Ministry for handymen, carpenters, brush cutters, demands for safety bars at windows and garbage receptacles were all turned down.

In 2009 the defects were many and included:
- Overgrowth in the yard,
- defective pipes that lead to flooding in the yard and buildings,
- discolored walls,
- defective walls and washrooms,
- presence of rodents among others.

We wonder which Minster would be willing to spend a night in this hell hole?

We sure they are making deals that would see them better off at that ripe old age as for the rest of us - good luck at getting old !

Ashni hilding up GECOM's funding

Breaking News:

$350 Million budgeted for the Guyana Elections Commission is being held up by the Ministry of Finance and as the Minister Dr. Ashni Singh continues to dance around the commissioners and other officials of GECOM.

Latest information reaching us is that the money is available and has been available since late last year and reappeared in this year’s budget estimates to be handed over to the Guyana Elections Commission.

The government’s refusal to hand this money over to the Commission could hinder two things, its preparations of Local Government Elections and General Elections.
We were told that the salaries of the Commissioners and other staff members have been secured as those are paid through a separate arrangements.

However, the salaries of hundreds of contracted workers are still to be paid.

Sources close to the Commission told us that Dr. Steve Surjubally, Chairman of GECOM is well aware of the government plans to frustrate the commission and has informed several of the donors in the form of letters of his frustration.

We are hell bent on finding a reason for this recent hold up of government funds to GECOM we are however convinced that there is more brewing in this pot that meets the eyes and ears.

Is the government corrrupt?

I am sure that many time our readers would have been asked the question, of would question themselves as to "is Jagdeo corrupt?" We put forward the following arguments;

1) Show me your friends and I will tell you who you are. Jagdeo's friends include
- Ramroop who pays off ministers, get's contracts awarded to him - and then goes to buy the equipment to manufacture. He also resells drug for MoH.
- Brassington who has abused every bank account in NICIL. Remember that no less than 10billion dollars goes to nicil EVERY YEAR. That money is never accounted for. Brassington, like odinga, has his own island in the Essequibo. It is important to note that Ashni Singh chairs the NICIL board.
- Odinga Lumumba - need we say anything about him? (see previous posts)
- Gerry Govia who used to have deals worked out in the army with McLean. They used the army helicopter to deliver "stuff" in the private hidden airstrips in the jungle.

The List could go on an on....and we will expand this soon....but these friends of the President shows his true nature.

2) The integrity commission. Does jagdeo submit his assets? The fact that he cannot get this commission going as an independent body points to their hiding of things.

3) Fip's road for US$15million. This is just a plain payoff for which moneys would roll back into the private bank accounts.

4) The brazil cable project. Here too moneys will roll back into personal accounts in Miami.

More to come.... for now, you decide!

Mercy Hospital

Our heart goes out to the management, staff and patients of the Mercy Hospital (partly) burnt by fire.

Muddy Road Molds Debate on the Future of Guyana

The New York times has the above headlined article.

The article posits the juxtaposition of building a $315-million road vs protecting the environment. What the writer of the article does not know is that the Jagdeo has already given US$15million to Fip Motilall to build a road that will have chaotic effect on the environment (and by the way to build a road that the GGMC seemed to have built already).

What is even worse is that Jagdeo is spending $47million on a fiber optic cable that will go through the Iwokrama protected area and will see work done that will severely threaten the creeks forests and ecosystem of the forest and trail.

Obviously the NICIL handled project will be top secret and the moneys paid out will be like the cat-o-nine-tails with each tail landing in a different account.

God help Guyana!

From professional to ugly politician - Ashni Singh

According to the Press, Finance Minister (technocrat-turned-politician) was the guest speaker to the Annual General Meeting of the private Sector Commission.

However one would have thought that he was speaking to a group of PPP supporters. His entire speech was based on his belief:
- that the press is biased against the Government
- that "mistakes" during the elections must be excused as mistakes
- that the one or two lapses of GoG must not be interpreted as 'corruption'
- that the transparency international and economic freedom evaluations are all liars
- that the auditor general reports on 'lapses' by the GoG should not be viewed as report of corruption or fraud

What a shame!

He spent one hour quoting from the Dick on criticisms of the USA government, not realizing that he was showing his Government's weakness! He tried to prove to all that Dick Morris could have said what he wanted about the US government....
NEWS FLASH to MR. ASHNI SINGH: no one can criticize the GoG!!! Jagdeo, yourself and everyone else reacts violently when criticized!

He spent another hour talking about elections in the UK - and asking all the business men to pardon any mistakes the GoG will make during the next general elections.

He spent another half hour lambasting the press about quoting from the auditor general's report - while he spent the hour quoting from various sources.

He spent an hour talking about the politics of the PPP and, reading between the lines, he begged the audience to keep supporting the PPP.

Two-and-a-half-hours of venal garbage. Rather than talk about investment, liquidity, bank regulations and topics of interest to the businessmen, he preached politics!!!

What a waste of time! The brilliance that we once knew as Ashni Singh has disappeared. In his place is a Jagdeo lackey, a PPP apologist and a corrupt politician who makes excuses for the lapses of the Government. I guess it all started with construction of the Caricom's annexe.

Meanwhile, we note that Ashni Singh holds the post of Finance Minister while his wife holds the post of Auditor General (ag).

Fipping along

The plot thickens as the Tale of Fip continues. This is probably the most incestuous contract ever awarded in recent times, as we have learnt that Fip Motilal is related to Bharrat Jagdeo on this is father’s side.

While this is a small picture compared to the bigger painting of corruption involving NICIL, the Office of the President and several government officials, more information is flowing as we continued our exploration of the man who promises us Hydro Electricity.

If you check our archives we were the first to alert out readers to the snail’s pace in which Hydro-electricity was being dealt with when we asked Fip to slip the swith.

As we uncover more on Fip, one official told us that the man is no stranger to being awarded government contracts. In fact, the official told us that the government ought to explain who the contracts for the supply of the two generators for the Guyana Power and Light Company were awarded to Synergy Holdings. In fact, two senior government officials raised an alarm about this but these were ignored by the forces higher up.

We are told that the two officials were frustrated to the point where a major project had to be delayed several times since Fip could not deliver the products for the start of this project. We understand that the government had to step in and clean up and mess and take more money from the Lotto Funds to cover its track and get the project started.

Lets just say the project was launched last year!

As we find out more details about our friend Fip, the man is listed as a Chemical Engineer on one of his many profiles on the internet but no one could explain if this is indeed true, where he studied and when.

All we know is that nothing makes sense in this web of Synergy, the award for the contract to build the road to Amaila Falls or the Hydro Electricity but what can we say but what a tangled web we weave.

Question: Is Jagdeo exempt from submissions to integrity commission?

More questions than answers

One of our readers posted a comment that has created some concern for our editorial board. We therefore pose the following questions with the hope that answers can be provided by those who know.

1) Is it true that Makeshwar Fip Motillal is related to Bharat Jagdeo on Jagdeo's father's side?
2) is it true that Motilal has been the real estate advisor for property acquisition in Florida for member of the Government and for the King?
3) Is it true that Brassington has his own island in the Essequibo river?
4) Can anyone name the Ministers of the current PPP Government that owns properties overseas?
5) Can someone PLEASE write to the US State and Embassy, requesting that they disclose these property acquisitions in the USA.
6) Could we start a petition to demand that the US Government disclose all the Guyana Government officials that own properties overseas?

Our integrity commission

The Integrity Commission still falls under the preview of the New Garden Street Palace. Sadly, since its Commissioners were sworn in more than 4 years ago the Commission has not investigated a single politician.

The History of the life of this recent Integrity Commission started with a sorry story of Robert Corbin challenging the Constitutionality of the Commission. This is after King Jagdeo appointed the Commissioners without consulting the dear opposition Leader.

This Court action that still lingers in the wall and halls of our bugged down High Court should not have held up the Operations of the Integrity Commission but I guess it did since daily and operational orders still come from the Head of the Presidential Secretariat and Chief Henchman Luncheon.

According to the 2010 National Budget, the Integrity Commission still falls under the Office of the President budget and received just about $1.5 million annually for its operations!

Despite this we know the Commission cannot make any independent decisions or conduct any independent investigations - Bishop Randolph George resigned (never served a purpose anyway), while Fazeel Feroze keeps following King Jagdeo on his overseas trips and the wife of a Former Gun minister serves on the Commission.

NO wonder the Commission cannot check on the integrity of our politicians and one man can be a miner, dolphin exporter and real estate mogul while a New Garden Street employee can invest in a Media entity, own shares of a supermarket outside this country and has personal bank accounts in Europe.

Given the relationship between Jagdeo and Corbin, one cannot but help concluding that the court action was orchestrated - to set up the commission and to stymie its ability to function. After all neither side can afford to have an investigation!

We wonder yet again, meanwhile Guyana continues to slide in the morass of corruption.

Spending on Sports

A total of $417 million is expected to be spent this year on young people and sports as least that is what the 2010 National Budget says. But is this money directly benefiting our thousands of young people?

Is there adequate funding for games, sports, recreational activities, sports clubs?
Here is the answer. We have dissected the $417 million and examine what this money will be spent on for the remaining of this year.

We found:
- No sporting programme will be funded
- No clubs are listed to be funded by government
- No new projects would be undertaken for sports and youth
- And, Government will not be funding any sporting groups’ participation in tournaments overseas.

It is all the in 2010 National Budget!

So what would the taxpayers money be spent on?:
- Out of the more than $400m, is given the PPP Lackey Neil Kumar managed National Sports Commission.
- This sum is expected to:
1. Complete the 2-year old National Swimming Pool,
2. Complete an athlete track (where was an athletic track being built, by whom and who tendered for it, what a strange allocation),
3. Rehabilitate and upgrade Colgrain Pool (same allocation was made in the 2009 National Budget, somebody is lying!)
4. Construct a fence for the National Sports Commission (but this Commission is housed in the Culture, Youth and Sports, do they mean that the Ministry needs a new fence? We are lost)
5. Construct a guard Hut in Compound of the National Gymnasium (well this is at least a $50 million contact!)
6. And finally, purchase sports gear and equipment (for whom really?)

To balance off the more than $400 million allocation-a pittance of $25 million would be spent on minor works on the Smythfield Drop in Centre, Construction of a trestle/bathroom at Madewini Youth Camp and ohhh purchase more equipment and sports gear.

As the government parades as one that championed the cause of Young people for more than 1 decade we would like to remind them of a few things that they have left out:
1. Durban Park is still a dream after millions of dollars from the Lotto Fund was spent to clear and sand fill it
2. Hundreds of play grounds and parks around the City have gone to waste
3. No cycling track yet
4. A synthetic track still to come for hockey etc
5. Tennis court and swimming pool are still under construction - more than two years for each
While
6. Mass migration of coaches and sports professionals continue and
7. Mass migration of athletes continue

Finally, lets all ask Lumumba to stop pretending to inject funds into Football Clubs and honestly do it. Save our youth.

The stink of corruption - II

A government that is deep seated in criminal activities can only reap the benefits of such while it must earn its negative image - yet become indignant and angry when it get's it well-deserved cries of "shame" from the world.

Transparency International, Business Monitor International, World Economic freedom - all of these have shown the picture of the corrrupt Government of Guyana. And yet what? Corruption continues and the President and ministers (without shame) blame the consultants and the report writers. Is everyone wrong? Is the entire world of independent professionals - all wrong on their condemnation of Guyana? Or is the handful of corrupt GoG officials, the bloated, corrupted office of the president, the criminal, corrupt minds of presidential advisers, and the group of jagdeoites all bent of filling their overseas accounts while the people of Guyana have to bear the shame of the Government's actions?

We have listed a number of multi-billon dollars scams over the years that have been linked to the PPP and more so the PPP Jagdeo administration.

We would not forgot the Death Squad links, Roger Khan and his Squad links, the links to a certain suit passing through the CJIA and two top officials one of them sits at Freedom House, the gun licensing links, fuel smuggling links, passport frauds and so many more.

Last year, several government ministers’ lives were said to be threatened and they hired personal security - we do not know who pays these security officers (some who are attached to the Office of the President and other former Police Officers).

But, what we know is that these ‘body guards’ have been deployed to give full protection at certain locations, excluding some public restaurants and public forum including Parliament and public days at their offices.

Jennifer Westford who dated the President’s close man was provided with two body guards after her ex-Baffa had allegedly threatened her several times. We understand that the real reason for the bodyguards were threats that emanated from a certain man who was the ex-body guard for our dear dear friend serving time overseas.

Priya Manickchand claimed to need a body guard after several men made sexual overtures to her in public.

Leslie Ramsammy was given several Presidential Guards for protection after his contact with our dear dear friend was made public

Manzoor Nadir had two body guards when his name was linked to drugs in a taxi several years ago, now we understand that he requested several police officers at his home and homes of families after a grenade attack at his son’s home.

Ashni Singh requested personal security after his life was threatened by a member of staff at the Finance Ministry (but he later declined).

Brave Brave Boxing-Promoter-land-dealer-mining-dealer-dolphin-dealer Odinga Lumumba had has to hire four men to protect him as he is said to have large amounts of cash on him all the time. (must be the Lotto Funds to ensure empowerment, or did he sell a dolphin or, wait, a piece of land)

Kwame McKoy, not a MINISTER but a Royal Object hired a body guard following the release of the infamous Kwame/Julius tape, he felt that someone was out to get him - and we thought Aubrey Norton was a creature?

How does Roger Lunchoen feel about all this, he is the keeper of secrets after all!

One day...

IF they have nothing to be afraid of… we wonder...

Another floating wharf

When a more than $500 million wharf floats away who or what is to be blamed?

Yesterday afternoon, residents of Essequibo River though the earth was moving before they realized that the million dollar, new White elephant was moving away from them!
Built by Royal Subject BK International more than three years ago, the said facility was disowned by several ministries!

The firm known for being awarded several healthy contracts, built the wharf with several defects, but who is to be blamed when Consultants are scamps too?

The government apparently spent the money, had the wharf built, refused to accept it, and now the lonely facility decided to float off.

Another tax payer millions gone to waste on a facility that may never be used- as we all HAIL the KING!

Guyana plunges to the bottom - again

World-wide analysis has been done to show the economic rating of Guyana and the Caribbean-American Forum has headlined "Guyana plunges to bottom of recent economic freedom ratings"

"According to the compilation released this week, Haiti is placed at 147 on the overall list, with Guyana at 155 and scored 48.4, making its economy the 155th freest in the 2009 Index of 183 economies examined." The Forum commented.

We quote extensively from the "2010 Index of economic Freedoms" as follows:

World Rank: 153 Regional Rank: 27 of 29 (Guyana)


Guyana’s economic freedom score is 48.4, making its economy the 153rd freest in the 2010 Index. Its overall score remains the same as last year because improvements in three of the 10 economic freedoms were offset by declines in investment freedom and property rights. Guyana is ranked 27th out of 29 countries in the South and Central America/Caribbean region, and its overall score is well below the world and regional averages.

Guyana does not perform well in any of the 10 economic freedoms and is slightly above the world average only in labor freedom and monetary freedom. Average economic growth over the past five years has been only about 3 percent, lagging behind other developing countries.

Long-standing constraints on overall economic freedom include property rights protected only erratically under the weak rule of law and widespread corruption in all areas of government. The biggest barrier to development is Guyana’s oversized government, with expenditures that often exceed half of GDP. Significant restrictions on foreign investment, combined with an inefficient bureaucracy, substantially depress the entrepreneurial environment.

Guyana is one of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere, and its state-dominated economy, dependent mainly on agriculture and mining, has been stagnant for many years. Violent crime and drug trafficking are serious concerns.

Business Freedom 63.4
Despite some progress, the overall freedom to conduct a business remains restricted by Guyana’s regulatory environment. Starting a business takes about the world average of 35 days. Obtaining a business license requires less than the world average of 18 procedures, but closing a business can be costly.

Trade Freedom 71.3
Guyana’s weighted average tariff rate was 6.9 percent in 2008. Import restrictions, import taxes, import-licensing requirements for a relatively large number of products, burdensome standards and regulations, inefficient customs administration, weak intellectual property rights enforcement, inadequate infrastructure, and corruption add to the cost of trade. Fifteen points were deducted from Guyana’s trade freedom score to account for non-tariff barriers.

Fiscal Freedom 55.9
Guyana has relatively high tax rates. The top income tax rate is 33.3 percent, and the top corporate tax rate is 45 percent. Other taxes include a property tax and a value-added tax (VAT). Excise taxes on fuel were temporarily suspended in 2008. In the most recent year, overall tax revenue as a percentage of GDP was 35.7 percent.

Government Spending 26.2
Total government expenditures, including consumption and transfer payments, are high. Privatization of state-owned enterprises has achieved mixed results. Poor management of public expenditures has led to persistent fiscal deficits. In the most recent year, government spending equaled 49.6 percent of GDP.

Investment Freedom 30.0
Guyana has been moving toward a more welcoming environment for foreign investors, but major foreign investments receive intense political scrutiny in an economy still dominated by the state.

Financial Freedom 40.0
Guyana’s underdeveloped financial system remains plagued by inefficiency and a poor institutional framework. High credit costs and scarce access to financing remain barriers to more dynamic entrepreneurial activity. The percentage of loans that are considered non-performing is a relatively high 14 percent.

Freedom From Corruption 26.0
There is extensive corruption at every level of law enforcement and government. Public officials are required to disclose their assets to an Integrity Commission before assuming office, but the commission had not been constituted as of mid-2009. Widespread corruption undermines poverty-reduction efforts by international aid donors and discourages foreign investors.

The CAF noted, "The size of the Jagdeo government was also slammed, being deemed the biggest barrier to development since expenditures exceed the gross domestic product (GDP)."

Of course the two doctors (Ashni and Jagdeo) can only spin doctor their way through his one. Expect full Prem-Misirable and Randyitis to be in the papers for the next weeks, doing articles for the non-selling chronicle and sending those articles as letters to the other media...spin! Spin Doctors.

Press Releases Press Release - Dr. Mahendra Chand

Press Release


I received a letter dated April 20th from the Medical Council regarding the decision of the Medical Council on the case of Dr. Mahendra Chand.

Dr. Chand was investigated by the Medical Council for Professional Misconduct in the case of a young man that was allegedly "tortured" by police officers.

Without prejudice to that case, the Medical Council found that Dr. Chand was guilty of professional misconduct.

The Council has recommended censure of Dr. Chand under the Medical Practitioners Act.

The Act states that the council can "Censure him" for anyone found guilty of professional misconduct.

This is a serious action taken against the doctor.

As Minister of Health, I am not in the habit of disagreeing with the Medical Council or any of the other regulatory bodies. I believe the Council has done a thorough investigation and has considered all aspects of this case.

They have sent a serious message to medical practitioners in Guyana. I believe the Council has established the protocol that would reduce the chances of success when those who the Council have censured and suspended in the past approached the courts to reverse the Council's action.

I would like the thank the council for their work on this case. I am giving my No Objection to the Council to carry out the recommendation.

The doctor in question is seconded to the police by the Georgetown Public Hospital. I believe the GPHC might want to consider any other action it might deem necessary.

Dr. Leslie Ramsammy
Minister of Health
April 27, 2010

As the Earthly One returns

We are rambling dangerously....on this special day:

As the Earthly one returns to Guyana, his worshippers are gathering at the Airport to welcome and worship him. Gerry Gouveia's invitation to the corporate world invited all to join him in the pilgrimage to the airport to receive The Big Ego. The Ministers, the Advisers, the soup drinkers, the account holders, the contract receivers - will all be driving hummers and prados and other SUVs to the airport tonight....polluting the air with their gas guzzlers while their environmental hero arrives in a cloud of pollution into his loving crowd of corruption.

No sweat! We dont begrudge the man for his award that was made on the backs of lying about the forests and the amerindians while sharing the profits from selling dolphins, mining concessions and large blocks of land and properties to Boyer, Gouveia,Brassington, Yong, Ramroop etc. No sweat at all!

But remember that while he is sashaying across the world, zipping from one country to another, we sweat it out in Guyana. Taking licks from the police, paying 16% VAT and 33% income tax on our earnings. No, no sweat that the Mighty Ego will be riding high in the next couple of weeks. After all, all the awards and degrees are like the presidency - fake, just paper awards - no real work done.

Caution to Kissoon, Christofer Ram, Ramjattan etc etc... watch out.... the Mighty Ego will be riding high during the next couple of days. He will lash out about Lumumba and its terrible indictment on him. He will lash out at the kaieteur and stabroek and will cut off ads.

He will lash out at the PNC, AFC, the UG protest and anyone who dares to criticize....sigh...those whom the Gods want to destroy they first make them mad.

Double sigh....But the cunning ways will continue as the $50-million hydro, $17-million road, $37 million cable and countless contracts will be awarded just like he has been. The stink of corruption is rising to high heaven. Welcome home oh mighty ego.

A US$15-million man and his bodyguard

Two pictures of a US$15-worth Fip and his bodyguard.

Surveying the market while Ashni decides what to do with the G$77-million per year unaccounted "consultant money" and Jagdeo decides what to do with the 2010 lotto funds before the case is called to court.

The stink of corruption!

Finally someone woke up and smelled the stink of corruption. Hats off to Desmond Trotman and his lawyers. I vote the "citizen of Guyana" award to Desmond!

Well known WPA Activist Desmond Trotman has sued the government for not paying the Lotto Funds into the Consolidated Fund- we all know and as stated in the media these monies were being spent without the necessary Parliamentary Approval. Well parliament be damned, spent without even any care for accountability!

When King Jagdeo on his Cabinet Outreaches would give away a $50 million here and a $20 million there. These exclude the millions prepaid for pipes, pharmaceuticals, rooms at hotels, Limo at Miami, etc.

Even the PNC (which has denounced this act many many times) could not muster up the courage and will to take this matter to court-we wonder about the many lawyers in that party - maybe they are all beneficiaries of the lotto-unaccounted-free-flowing-money.

The Audit Office of Guyana has reported this illegal act many times in multiple reports. In its just recent report of the 2008 accounts, the Auditor General (which is co-headed by the wife of the Finance Minister) said:

“The Contingencies Fund continued to be abused with amounts totaling $670.343 million drawn from the Fund being utilized to meet expenditure that DID NOT meet the ELIGIBILITY criteria as defined in the ACT”

Page 12 of the AG’s 2008 report also states that Expenditure in respect to services which by law are directly chargeable to the Consolidated Fund DO NOT form part of the voted provisions approved by the National Assembly.

These expenditures include:
1. Repayment and servicing of Public Debt
2. Emoluments of holders of Constitutional Offices
3. Pensions and gratuities of Public Officers

The Financial Management Act spells out how and why exactly monies should be extracted from the Consolidated Fund.

Finance Minister Dr. Ashni Singh in this case must show that “urgent, unavoidable and unforeseen NEED for the expenditure has arisen”, for which NO money can be reallocated as provided for under the FMA- or for which no money has been allocated for, or for which the sum allocated is not sufficient.

When the Minister does the above, this is to be tabled in the National Assembly. According to the 2008 AG Report more than 80 advances totaling more than $4 billion were drawn from the fund.

Of course, by the end of 2008, the Ministry of Finance could not account for more than 17 of those advances totaling more than $1 billion.

The Auditor General Deodat Sharma in his report said that his previous reports “highlighted the continual abuse of this fund”. The report listed several instances where monies were taken from the Fund showing wanton abuse. These included:

1.More than $200 million to the Public Works Ministry for support to the Transport and Harbour Department

2. More than $180,000 million to the Guyana Defense Force

3. More than $77 million to the Finance Ministry for Consultancy

4. More than $72 million to the Home Affairs Ministry for Carifesta expenses

These are only a few sums that were captured by the AG Office for 2008. One can only wonder what took place in 2009!

We congratulate Desmond Trotman for the long awaited move as we await the outcome of this court matter.

We take this opportunity to caution Desmond, Ram and Fitzpatrick - look our for nasty 'letter' on your wife (or wives), girlfriends, cars, any duty free if you ever had, any tax free if you ever had, any fetish if you ever had....and of course even if you didn't have, they will now get dirty.