Cabinet investigates ‘illegal’ drug purchases by Public Health Ministry

The Cabinet Council of Ministers, chaired by Head of State President David Granger, has called on Public Health Minister Dr George Norton to give an explanation over reports that there may have been some illegalities perpetrated with regards to the purchase of drugs and medical supplies by that entity.
Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, confirmed the state of affairs on Friday when he hosted a Post-cabinet press briefing following its meeting on Tuesday.
According to Minister Harmon, the council has been in receipt of the reports with regards to the purchase of drugs by the Public Health Ministry.

He told the media that Cabinet has since demanded an investigation firstly at the level of the Ministry prior to any further action to be taken at the executive level.
Efforts by Guyana Times to make contact with Minister Norton proved futile as numerous calls to his mobile phone went unanswered.
Minister Norton is quoted in sections of the media – reports referred to by Minister Harmon – as saying that there has been a recommendation for the investigation which may warrant some persons being sent on leave in the interim.
This is the second major investigation into the Public Health Ministry since the

coalition A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance for Change (APNU/AFC) took office.
A Cabinet Sub-committee was appointed by Head of State Granger to investigate the transaction which saw the Public Health Ministry agreeing to pay in excess of $12 million for the rental of a Sussex Street, Georgetown, property for the storage of drugs and medical supplies.
While a decision is still to be made on this matter, that Sub Committee, which was chaired by Natural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman, had recommended that the contract be terminated since another facility could be had at a cheaper rate.
The questionable Sussex Street facility is owned by Linden Holdings Inc whose principal is Larry Singh – a key financier of the APNU/AFC administration; a revelation that also accelerated public furore over the transaction.
The 2015 Auditor General Report recently made public by Speaker of the National Assembly Dr Barton Scotland, is but another such report that documents these infractions.
In the 2015 Report, Sharma has had cause to highlight the fact that the Ministry has in fact been breaching the Fiscal Management and Accountability Act.