The examples of what is currently undermining governance and other facets of the society may be small but they indicate the level of corruption taking place in the country and the state of its economy, Jesuit priest and social activist, Fr Malcolm Rodrigues says.
Asked what he thought about charges of corruption being endemic in the administration of the country, he told Stabroek News that he had always said, “If you level a charge of corruption then you must have evidence. Nowadays evidence is everywhere around you. I am amazed.”
He gave the example of the church selling a vehicle. He said he went through the process to get the compliance and he got that “without passing any money.”
However, he said it was very clear that when he went to get the registration changed some underhand transactions were taking place. “I was an obstacle to what was going on. I had to excuse myself and leave the office so that the transaction could take place. That is what is going on,” he said, repeating an earlier statement that he was totally amazed.
He gave another example in which he said that three weeks ago the church had two visitors. They went for a walk the morning after they arrived in the country. When they got to the corner of Camp and Regent streets they crossed the street going north.
Two policemen, he said, accosted them and told them they had crossed when the traffic light was red. They told him that they crossed on the zebra crossing because as they know it in England, pedestrians have the right of way on the crossing even though the light might be red. The policemen argued that this was not the case in Guyana and that the fine was $15,000 on the spot.
“They didn’t even understand being fined on the spot,” he said. One of them pulled out a $3,000 from his pocket and showed the policeman.
The policeman took it and told them it was okay but next time they must not cross the street when the traffic light was red.
“When they came back and told us what happened, I felt so ashamed,” he said, adding that here were two visitors who were robbed literally the day after they arrived in the country by those who should be protecting them.
“How on earth are you going to encourage visitors to our country? You don’t know the laws of the other countries and you are applying your law. All you have to say to them is here in Guyana, when it (the light) is red, even though there is a zebra crossing, you stop,” and await the green light.
However, Fr Rodrigues said that the crossing at Regent and Camp Streets was very chaotic since there is no light in the vicinity of Republic Bank indicating when pedestrians should walk across Regent Street.
