The local authorities have a lot of work to do to identify money-laundering culprits

Dear Editor,

I read with great interest newspaper reports about the statement made by the US Ambassador to Guyana, Perry Holloway in relation to the setting up of a DEA office in Georgetown, the tracking down of illegally acquired money in the US, the sharing of evidence between the US and Guyana as regards drug-related and money-laundering offences, etc.

The Ambassador made it quite clear that the US cannot assist in tracking down stolen state funds stashed away in the US unless provided with hard and specific evidence against someone or a corporation. He stressed that there will be no witch hunting. Therefore the authorities in Georgetown have to do a lot of work to identify the culprits and provide good and valid information. There is a lot of talk of fraud and corruption, but law enforcement agencies must come up with the evidence to prosecute the bad guys.

It is heartening to learn that there is constant communication between the US Embassy and local law enforcement agencies such as Special Organized Crime Unit (SOCU) and the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), but these bodies have to work harder to muster evidence to corral the crooks. Maybe they should seek the assistance of the Guyana Embassy in Washington and the consulate in New York. Maybe the Ministry of Foreign Affairs should look at the possibility of recruiting top notch private forensic experts to work in their missions and concentrate on money laundering and international fraud.

The US Treasury and the IRS are the focus of such information gathering, but it seems there must be a criminal investigation of some importance to initiate a requested cooperation. The DEA is not a major player in the exchange of information involving bank accounts and taxes, and as such the Georgetown office will not be of help in this regard. Of course the DEA office will concentrate on drug trafficking in order to apprehend the culprits in this massive drug trade. It is not a secret that for decades Guyana has been a transshipping point for drugs to the United States and Europe, and the presence of DEA officers in the country by itself will no doubt minimize the trade in the region.

Yours faithfully,
Oscar Ramjeet