David Patterson, when in Opposition, self-righteously proclaimed himself as absolutely incorruptible, totally committed to accountability and, particularly, to all procurement laws. Now, as Minister, he is in charge of a Ministry seriously vying for the title champion of corruption. The Public Procurement Commission (PPC) last week confirmed that Minister Patterson’s Ministry deliberately violated procurement laws in awarding the Demerara River Bridge consultancy contract to a Dutch company. The report justifies the call for Minister Patterson to resign immediately. I know the Minister will not resign and I know that, as he hides from the media, President Granger will ignore this and other corrupt deals that have become the norm for his APNU/AFC Government.
In September 2017, the Chief Whip of the PPP in Parliament, Gail Teixeira, wrote a letter of complaint to the Chairperson of the PPC, charging that the Public Infrastructure Ministry, with the full approval of Minister Patterson, knowingly violated the Public Procurement Act of Guyana. The complaint related to the award of a contract to a Dutch firm that had submitted an unsolicited proposal to the Ministry, after having ignored a tender that resulted in 23 companies submitting expression of interest. While the PPC has been slow and seemingly disinterested in the slew of corrupt procurement practices that appear to be daily events in Guyana, it did take time to investigate this quite blatant violation of the laws.
The consultancy recommended that the new bridge be constructed across the Demerara River from Houston, Greater Georgetown; to a property in Versailles, West Bank Demerara; a property owned by a member of the PNC. Last year, the PPP MPs vigorously objected to the contract and described vividly how the procurement laws were violated by Minister Patterson’s Ministry. The Leader of the Opposition addressed this issue more than once in his engagement with the media. Independent political commentators have also addressed the issue. Now the PPC, headed by the wife of a former leader of the PNC, has unambiguously stated that Minister Patterson’s Ministry, indeed, blatantly breached the procurement laws of Guyana. The report is unequivocal that the Minister was fully aware of the transaction at every step.
Twenty-three companies expressed an interest to provide consultancy services – 12 were shortlisted and two submitted their proposals in accordance with the tender requirements. However, the Government annulled the tender. In spite of the recommendation by the National Tender and Procurement Administration Board (NPTAB) that the Public Infrastructure Ministry re-tender for a consultant, given that the original tender was annulled, the Ministry proceeded to award a contract to the Dutch Company, LievenseCSO Engineering Consultancy BV. This company had not submitted an interest in the consultancy and submitted an unsolicited proposal only after the annulment of the original tender to provide consultancy services for the Demerara River Bridge project.
Minister Patterson, by memorandum dated November 18 2016, requested Cabinet’s approval to use funds from the Demerara Harbor Bridge Corporation (DHBC) to fund the feasibility study and to commence a contractual engagement with LievenseCSO as of January 1, 2017. Minister Patterson’s memorandum was a direct request from the Minister, sidelining the NPTAB and the DHBC. Cabinet approved the memorandum submitted by the Minister Patterson in November 2016 for a total sum of $161,514,420 to be used from the DHBC to cover cost for the feasibility study for a new bridge across the Demerara River. Rawlston Adams, General Manager of the DHC, signed the contract, but informed the PPC that the Board of the DHC was not a party to the decision to use these funds for this purpose. He was clear that he had not signed the contract on behalf of the DHC, but only signed the contract because he was requested to do so by Minister Patterson. The Minister, facing public queries, had also mis-represented that the funds came from the IDB, a claim the IDB rejected.
Since this scandalous development, the Minister now informs us that they will not use this feasibility study because they want to change the kind of bridge to be constructed. Whatever happens, taxpayers’ resources are being wasted and there is no accountability. This transaction, as pointed out by the Opposition and by many others, has now benefited from scrutiny by the PPC and confirmed to have breached the procurement laws of Guyana. The Minister must resign for clear misconduct in office. If he will not, the President has an obligation to dismiss him.
