Opposition leader lashes out at President Granger’s corruption policy

– Cites DDL and fuel smuggling as glaring examples

Opposition leader Bharrat Jagdeo has lashed out at President David Granger’s policy on corruption, and said that the current state of affairs is a very far cry from what he has been publicly advocating.
Jagdeo said the Head of State needs to put his words and expectations into action, to realise his policy on corruption and transparency. He was at the time addressing journalists at his weekly media conference.
“The president has been talking about stamping out corruption. His goal is that he wants to be transparent… and I agree with the President. He said commercial contracts should not be secrets and that agreements made under the PPP are not state secrets. I agree with him. Then he says “that’s the way I do business… Above board and transparency”, but clearly, the President is living in a bubble. Because all that is happening in Government runs contrary to what he is saying”, Jagdeo said.
He said if President Granger is serious about what he is saying about stamping out corruption, he still needs to give answers to questions about the alleged discrepancies at the Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL) where he had been asked to allow for an investigation to be carried out.
“We are asking him to look into the DDL and make a pronouncement on it”, Jagdeo said. That situation saw tax waivers being given out and the liabilities coming from the treasury because of the “opening of the door for other claims”.
“That will cost the treasury $60 billion at minimum”, Jagdeo noted while stating that no one can yet say who made the agreement.
According to Jagdeo, while Government has been accusing the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Administration of corruption, there is really nothing that the party has done to come at least close to that amount of money in revenue.
He spoke also of the fuel smuggling racket that is in the media, alleging that many Government ministers are benefitting immensely from this.
“They remove the CEO of Guyoil to facilitate the widespread theft that is taking place. There are about four different schemes going on”, Jagdeo opined. He spoke also of the issue involving former Chairman of the Guyana Sugar Corporation Vickram Oditt and another local businessman Augustine Jackson who alleged that he was coerced into using his vessel to carry out the smuggling of fuel by the former GuySuCo chairman and another man. Oditt maintains, however, that the allegation is false.
Jagdeo said President Granger needs to take stock of the fact that many of the ministerial persons who have now been placed at Guyoil are now involved in the “racket and are siphoning off the fuel.”
“Everybody knows this. This is a large-scale theft that is running to billions of dollars that has been happening over the last eight months or so”. He said it is easy for President to find the truth, if he launches a ministerial enquiry, and allows the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) to look at it.
“He will come and talk about fighting corruption and everybody knows that some of them are benefitting. Those who have contributed to campaign financing are involved. This is their payback”, Jagdeo said.