Special prosecution team to go after defaulters – Govt

Sparendaam Housing project, World Cup audits

Government has announced that it will be moving to establish a team of prosecutors that will lead a case against members of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), who were found to be culpable in two forensic audits.

Minister of State Joseph Harmon said the reports of the audits, on the operations of the Guyana Cricket World Cup Inc and the Sparendaam, East Coast Demerara, Housing Project also known as “Pradoville 2” were recently presented to Cabinet by Finance Minister Winston Jordan. According to Harmon, Cabinet found that in both instances, there were indications of criminal culpability which require further investigation.

“Cabinet therefore agreed that in each case, a special prosecution team would be establish, that the Minister of Home Affairs would present a report to cabinet within one week on the composition of the team; that the reports would be handed over to the police for criminal investigations to commence into those matters.”

According to the State Minister, the legal team will not be limited to local personnel, but will include both regional and international.

“We are looking to bring persons who are capable of handling these matters that are coming up. So yes, we are looking at the Region for the first instance and then further afield.” He said Government had already indicated that it had been receiving offers of assistance from both the region and international, and this will most likely be accepted since the issue of corruption and transparency in Government is international.

Speaking of some of the criminalities arising in the audit, Harmon said it was found that plots of lands that were transferred to former government officials were not market prices, and the valuation that was given was unusual for that time and location.

Harmon said Government is going to leave the issue in the hands of those who are trained at building criminal and civil cases for them to take the necessary action.

Harmon explained that “these are criminal investigations and therefore the decision is that this goes to the police and the police decide whether it is SOCU or the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) will deal with it.” He added that as far as Cabinet is concerned, “the matter should be investigated by the criminal investigation elements within the Guyana Police Force.”

Meanwhile, the investigations into the operations of the Guyana Cricket World Cup Inc had to do with the glaring irregularities into sums by the local organising committee in meeting expenditures relating to the hosting of the 2007 International Cricket World Cup in Guyana.