Attorney and accountant Christopher Ram has threatened legal action against five government functionaries who are currently participating in the national recount as party agents for the incumbent APNU+AFC Coalition for potentially receiving payment while not performing public service functions.
Ram, in a letter to AFC Executive and de facto Minister of Public Infrastructure David Patterson, de facto Minister with responsibility for Housing Annette Ferguson, de facto Minister with responsibility for Youth Simona Broomes, Director of Sport Christopher Jones and Ryan Belgrave, an employee of the Department of Culture, Youth and Sport, warned that it would be illegal for them to be paid as public servants while they perform political functions.
In the letter, which was released to the press, he cited the provisions of Article 220 (3) of Guyana’s constitution, which stipulate that if Parliament has been dissolved before any provision or any sufficient provision is made under Appropriation Act, the Minister responsible for finance may authorize the withdrawal of such sums from the Consolidated Fund as he may consider necessary for the purpose of meeting expenditure on the public services.
