Corruption and deceit at NPTAB is nothing new

Dear Editor,
This exposure of tender board officials caught on camera removing documents and the police having to be called in is a very worrisome incident for the following reasons:
It shows the deception and dishonesty that have penetrated our society and what has happened to our people. Since people in Guyana, it now seems, can be induced ‘to sell their souls to the devil’ for a few pieces of printed, coloured paper called “money” which will give them temporary luxury yet still demolish their soul for a lifetime for which they will have to pay. This deceit and corruption seems to preponderate more so in recent times than in previous.
Anytime humanity does a wrong thing either steal (or commit criminal actions) or lie in thoughts or verbally, something triggers in their body or mind. That is why the lie detector or polygraph machine can pick up when a person is lying. Their heartbeat changes and the body’s biological and psychological systems trigger and tells you that you are doing wrong or not being honest. This is called the human conscience.
This is a serious offence when persons go and tender and their submitted, sealed, tender documents are tampered with. Tendering is an expensive process. A simple tender may cause GY$50,000 to GY$250,000 and may even cause millions of dollars to put up a bid, for the 2 per cent bid security, for documents, preparation, and management. In this reported case, I believe that the police department has to put tremendous amounts of pressure on this implicated person so that he can reveal the name/s of the person/s who was paying him to commit this illegal practice.
I have observed, as a child growing up from our time of independence, that this level of corruption seems to have impregnated our nation and society with deception, evil, and corrupt activities, from the political uppermost level to the man in the street. We have a serious dilemma – when anyone can go and tamper with sealed tender bidding documents so that their friends or associates can win a tender is a sad state of affairs.
I am saying this because I know Guyana and Guyanese, as well as the level of corruption. I previously suffered from a similar incident of this nature some time ago, and when I called the then Chairman of the Tender Board (during the past administration) he was refuting the accusations of corruption and saying that the tender box is where everyone can see it, but I suggested that a camera be installed around the area of the tender box because persons with possession of the keys can enter and tamper with the submitted tender documents.
Needless to say that my suggestion went unheeded. In my case, my submitted entire bidding tender document package disappeared from the tender box after my company certified that they submitted it. So this meant that we were watched and one gentleman in the security industry was my main suspect because he was always bragging of his conquests of tampering with submitted tenders aided by his political connections (this conclusion was also formed because of my police investigative skills which I was born with and studied and developed over time).
This same gentleman was also responsible for submitting fake GRA documents and NIS compliances, and only because his illegal actions were discovered, I was able to garner the Government regional security tenders for Regions Two, Three, Four, Five and Six. Corruption in the security tendering process in this country is nothing new and it has gone to such a level that it ‘boggles’ the human mind. This is only security service tenders that I am referring to here. Imagine what goes on in buildings, sea walls, schools and road projects. The road projects specifically! One can only imagine what goes on in their tendering processes. One gentleman previously told me that I can get Regions One, Seven, Eight and Nine regional security tenders if I give him three million dollars and that the previous guy who won the bids went to KFC and pack money in the boxes – “five million dollars” – and give it to them.
I told him that I do not get involved in such corrupt practices and live with a humble disposition so that my children and children’s children lives would not be affected, and the earnings that I have would not bring my family into disrepute and that the universe will not “spite” me because I believe in this karmic order of things in which for the evils we commit and for the sins we commit “two by two”, we pay for them “one by one”( it is my belief).
Persons are tendering below cost and one or two persons are always winning all the Government and regional contracts. If persons in the Government should do an audit, they will see massive manipulation of the taxes (GRA, NIS, PAYE, VAT etc), fake GRA and compliance certificates submitted, awarding of contracts to known international criminals, etc.
I had the experience of persons taking away 95 per cent of my security businesses and that was as a result of a few persons who maliciously wanted to ruin me financially and install their friends and families. The major part of RK Guyana Security Services was always linked to Government contracts since 1979 when the business was first established with GY$7.50 immediately after the 2015 elections, 95 per cent of its businesses were lost. I reported this to the Public Procurement Commission (PPC) and the Chairperson of the Commission, who did not do her job and failed to investigate, said it was a matter for the Permanent Secretary of another Ministry.
So, it boggles the mind why people would do such evil practices and why the PPC would shirk from its terms of references to be impartial and professional. Here is another example: I won a security contract after a lot of work and cost. But a few hours just before I started, it was terminated for convenience. Cabinet gave the no objection and the tender award was approved by the tender board and the evaluators which came from the Ministry of Education (this matter is sadly now before the courts). So there is corruption in high places and it is painful and hurtful.
But such an experience would not cause me to publicly abuse the Government or become disrespectful. I respond by logic, intellect, wisdom, communication, and the avenues of redress available to me eg the Public Procurement Commission (PPC) which failed our company and for which I have lost respect, in this case which is now before the courts.
Corruption is rife and rampant in Guyana and I hope that one day we can come out of this and the persons who induce these evaluators with financial rewards (con and paper money) to commit such illegal acts which will destroy their careers, their honour, cause them to go to prison. These are truly evil persons and should be dealt with. I pray for my country, I want this country to develop and grow and for it to prosper and be enhanced. Corruption is eating away at the very heart of our country.

Sincerely,
Roshan Khan Snr