When Brian Tiwari of BK International talks about patriotism, as he does in his press release, in response to the furore about his relationship with Joseph Harmon, we have to treat his words with a little bit of humour. BK’s discovery of patriotism can only go so far. Businessmen, as wealthy as Tiwari might be, will support the Government of the day. That is the nature of business and politics.
Businessmen of his wealth are looking to protect their accumulated wealth by working out a modus vivendi with the Government of the day. It has been like this since the dawn of time. Look at Donald Trump. The Republicans cannot seem to get over the fact that Trump has financed politicians on both sides of the political spectrum, Republicans and Democrats. We cannot blame Tiwari for linking up with the coalition Government. I would fault Tiwari for not hiring a person who is more qualified to write a press release for him. But that is another matter.
The “Harmon Affair” involving Tiwari, the Guyana Revenue Authority and BaiShanLin raised many eyebrows. The Transparency Institute of Guyana Inc (TIGI) alleged that “in relation to the employing and rewarding of supporters and donors”, Harmon was engaged in corruption “by any international standard”. In its release, TIGI quoted a statement from Harmon regarding the Instrument of Appointment of Tiwari as Business Advisor to the Government (Harmon?) where Harmon had no qualms about saying “we (meaning the coalition?) have issued several instruments like these to persons both from the APNU and the AFC side and you would notice that I have signed it for many persons who have helped us in the campaign and those who have the capacity to help us further.”.
Apparently, Amna Ally, the Minister of Social Cohesion, responsible for uniting us, may have ignored this statement in her defence of Harmon, who apparently sees no problem with the largess of the State going to persons from “the APNU and the AFC side”. Quid pro quo is the staple of realpolitik. But an inquiring mind would ask “who are these MANY persons?” and, “what were they promised in return?”.
Ironically, similar charges of corruption were laid against the PPP, but as Donald Ramotar reminded us in a recent letter, the forensic audits have revealed no smoking guns. Either the PPP leaders were extremely good at hiding malfeasance while in government or APNU/AFC has pulled a great con job on the Guyanese people. But even the coalition Government’s supporters are saying it is hell-bent on doing what it wants, regardless of what it had criticised before.
Despite the outcry and raising of the eyebrows, President Granger says the corruption charges against Joseph Harmon are “outrageous”. Is it because they were army squaddies? Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo, whose AFC shares a coalition with APNU, defends Harmon as an “honest person”. But Moses Nagamootoo, the AFC’s Vice Chairman, believes that Granger should reduce Harmon’s powers. It would seem that the cause célèbre of Harmon hiring Brian “BK” Tiwari as an advisor on business development was the occasion of the war and not the cause. Harmon stands accused of acting as an entity on his own, like a cabinet within a cabinet. He felt comfortable with the fact that there was no need to tell his Cabinet colleagues, much less the President, about his political expansion.
One would think that this new coalition government would have its act together, but the honeymoon is clearly over. Joseph Harmon, the Minister of State and confidant of President Granger, may not be corruptible. But the picture of him in a private jet with executives of BaiShanLin and their family in China – when he had no official business with them, and his later staying of the GRA seizure of a BaiShaiLin SUV – sure make it hard for his defenders.
OK, so I may have gone overboard with this analysis. Let’s say that Joseph Harmon is a decent and non-corruptible individual for the sake of argument. Why does Granger not keep him on a closer leash to avoid further embarrassment? Is it because Harmon is a military squaddie? Then we may need to look beyond the issue of corruption. Let’s not forget that a handful of military men, with tremendous power, is running the country. Intimations of the Burnham dictatorship?
