Sussex Street ‘house bond’ deal stinks to high heaven

Pharmagate

…as Cabinet now gives seal of approval to corruption,

cronyism – PPP/C Chief Whip

The Sussex Street ‘house bond’ deal, which sees Larry Singh’s Linden Holding Inc being paid $12.5 million monthly for the storage of drugs and medical supplies, “stinks to high heavens” and demonstrates that the current Administration is incapable of doing the right thing and immediately terminate the contract. This, despite the “platitudes” being offered by Head of State, President David Granger, on the virtues of transparency and accountability by his Administration.

Opposition Chief Whip Gail Teixeira made that damning pronouncement on Friday when she met with members of the local media corps, and said that the official pronouncements made by the Director of Public Information, Imran Khan, only serve to reinforce the view that Cabinet was essentially now involved in the endorsement of, and cover-up of a corrupt transaction.

The Opposition Chief Whip was at the time speaking to topical issues and reminded that People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) would be exploring all of the parliamentary options available to it.

Further embarrassment

Teixeira said from all appearances, Government now appeared incapable of doing what was the right and honourable thing, and suggested that Singh of Linden Holding Inc should, in fact, step up and rescind the contract entered into with Government to save the Administration from further embarrassment.

She said the masterminds behind the affair had in fact prepared a watertight contract that would have to be resolved, “either by a gentleman’s agreement and if the gentleman who has been the beneficiary of such largesse of the Government is willing to not further embarrass the Government he has supported, he should withdraw and let the contract be terminated…if they don’t wish to do that, then they are obviously trying to broker something”.

Teixeira told media operatives that based on the official pronouncement coming out of Cabinet, the entire sordid affair was clearly a repayment ploy for Singh.

She said too that even more worrying signs have been signalled by Cabinet following its review of the Cabinet Sub-Committee recommendations, and pointed to the fact that Cabinet has decided to expedite the process of securing a new bond.

This, she said, will no doubt lead to another rush to sole source another facility and “will be a repeat of the original contract”.

Unacceptable

Cabinet, through the Government’s Director of Public Information, on Thursday announced that the council of ministers chaired by President Granger, had completed its review of the entire affair and has agreed to go ahead and look for another facility.

Cabinet had found the deal to be “undesirable”, but nonetheless did not terminate the contract.

Teixeira suggested that throughout her political career, including serving in various ministerial and other capacities, she has never seen such an ironclad arrangement, which has essentially bound Government into a 12-year arrangement at an annual cost of in excess of $150 million.

Government not only fronted a security deposit of $25 million for the facility, but agreed to pay a monthly rental of $12.5 million in addition to all utility, security and other charges.

“This is unacceptable,” Teixeira said, and reminded that “justice isn’t always there when you want it, but it comes out and the more this Government refuse to do what is correct and that is to terminate the contract.”

The Opposition Chief Whip said Governments were expected to do what was honourable.

She noted that Singh would always have the option to move to the courts, “but the issue is that this matter stinks to high heavens and, therefore, there is only one recourse”.

Teixeira was adamant that President Granger has a responsibility to terminate the contract with Linden Holding Inc.

Parliamentary options

Meanwhile, asked about the approach of the political Opposition in face of the Cabinet decision on the drug bond brouhaha, Teixeira said her Party was currently still aiming to have Public Health Minister, Dr George Norton placed before the Committee of Privileges.

She pointed, too, to the fact that her Party could very well be open to bringing a motion to debate the entire sordid affair in the full Assembly, in addition to resorting to the use of the various sectoral committees.

Asked about extra-parliamentary options, the Opposition Chief Whip was reluctant to divulge how the Party would approach this, saying “we will see”.

Teixeira used the opportunity to also remind the media operatives present that the Party was still to see an official apology that had been promised by Minister Norton, to be submitted to the Speaker of the National Assembly, Dr Barton Scotland.

She said this was the position of her Party despite the recent appearance by Dr Norton to publicly offer an apology, an activity Teixeira dismissed as “quite hilarious”.