President Bharrat Jagdeo is studying the report released by the Auditor General’s office, which probed bribery allegations at Customs, and is due to pronounce on the findings shortly.
“He intends to release the report and make the findings public, but this would have to be after he has studied it, and currently he is perusing it,” an official at the Office of the President said yesterday when asked about the status of the report. It was handed to the President two weeks ago.
There is no clear indication as to when the report would be made public and the official declined to say whether the President was almost through with it, declaring only that Jagdeo would keep his word and “report to the Guyanese public shortly”.
The report offers details into the bribery scandal that rocked the Customs and Trade Administration (CTA), and documents a series of interviews with those alleged to have been involved. It also contains key recommendations as regards officials at customs and a string of others allegedly tied to the fraud; suggesting that criminal charges be instituted in some instances. Specifically, the report recommends charges against Fidelity Invest-ments, the company at the centre of the investigation and the scandal.
Sources have observed that the findings ought to be released in a timely manner given the gravity of report, and the enormity of the fraud.
The President had indicated at a press briefing just over two weeks ago that he was in receipt of the report, but that he had to study it before releasing the findings. Jagdeo promised that he would report back to the public on it, adding that it would have to be some time in the new year.
Auditor General (ag) Deodat Sharma, who headed the task force investigation, had confirmed more than three weeks ago that the report was completed and was at the time, “waiting on the President to receive it”. Sources said the investigation found that officers were openly deceptive about the contents of the containers they had examined and cleared at the wharf for Fidelity as they insisted and even falsified documents stating that soft drinks had been imported by Fidelity.
Fidelity had disputed this since the investigation first commenced stating that the company had imported Polar beer and not soft drinks.
It is believed that at least one high-ranking official within the GRA, who had been embroiled in the Polar beer scandal involving Fidelity, will face disciplinary action as recommended by the task force, for incompetence; more so failing to detect the corrupt practices of officers working in that division.
Jagdeo studying report …why does he have to do that …the new commish is on holiday ..that is the work of law enforcement.
The president is the commish of police, at least he behaves like that. this man makes pronouncements and the commish acts on it…..what a joke.
Does the GRA comes under the police???If so why weren’t these men investigated by the police all the while with all the corrupt allegations???For your information it is the President that ordered this investigation into this massive fraud so obvoiusly he will have to look at the report to see who were the officers involved and the recommendations made,,,afterall the President is the Commander of the Armed Forces.
Jagdeo needs to sanitize the report and then take forver to release it. Why are you so surprised at his in-actions!!! LOL
Isn’t this report supposed to be checked by the Attorney-General or the home affair minister why is the predident into these petty affairs, don’t he have more important things at hand to concern with.
We’re living in another CUBA. one man rule…
Jagdeo is a micro-manager of all things Guyana. Let him be for now. Let’s see how long he takes and what he refutes in the report before we start making a noise.
Soldier when an investigation is conducted into wrong doing that could potentially lead to charges, the report should go to the justice department (the ministry of home affairs) then to the commish of police, who investigates and then ask the attorney general for advice. that is why things are so corrupt in Guyana. the president deciding who should be charged or not.
john brown, you are 100% correct, it makes no difference WHO ordered the investigation, it STILL has to go “THROUGH CHANNELS” as you pointed out, and the president should NOT be involved unless asked by the reviewing officer. When Jagdeo does what he is doing, he is UNDERMINING THE AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY AND CONTROL OF THE HOME AFFAIRS MINISTER, THE POLICE COMMISSIONER AND THE CHIEF LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER WHO IS THE ATTORNEY GENERAL. This is NOT micromanagement, this is DICTATORSHIP.
Excellent. Unscrupulous individuals will no doubt be caught and punished.A small step to clean up corruption in Guyana.
I suspect the reason why Jagdeo wants to review every investigation before it is released to the public is simply to “SANITIZE”
Moderator,,,,,you remind me of a teacher of mine in Public school in Guyana, always correcting and redlining every written word. I went to visit him in prison in New York a few years back, he went to jail for check fraud….lol.
This is the kind of thing that makes it so hard to do business in guyana.. the minute you have to do any transactions with the Govt someone has got there hands out..
To apply for a phone, you have to fork,out 10 grand before anyone will even talk to you.. Customs is just as bad. to get a barrel cleared is 3 to 5 grand….and hope you need to clear a car or some type of Machinery you pay out the A**… This kind of thing needs to stop. The
growth of the country is dependant on it…..
This is a first step… make an example of them and make it Public
I applaud this Report and i hope that something is done about it