Another political party has added its voice to the calls for David Patterson to resign as chair of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament.
A New and United Guyana (ANUG), one of the three joinder parties which hold a single seat in the National Assembly, suggested in a statement yesterday that the scandal surrounding Patterson’s acceptance of personal gifts from government agencies while a Minister of Government compromises his ability to function in the post.
It stressed that it is this Committee that “has the role of scrutinizing public spending and public accounts [and] which would scrutinize and police the giving of ‘gifts’ and below-value sale of assets of State property to officials in circumstances of abuse and conflict of interest.”
Patterson has acknowledged that he had received gifts from government agencies under his purview but he rejected any accusation of wrongdoing and said he assumed the purchases were in compliance with procurement guidelines.
His successor Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill has refused to accept this reasoning.
“It is my considered opinion…that Mr. Patterson is guilty of (a) misuse of Office, (b) abuse of privilege, (c) misconduct in public office and (d) deception when caught…these are the facts,” Edghill said in response to Patterson’s acknowledgment while listing items including jewellery, personal electronic devices and household items which have receipts issued by government agencies and which were allegedly received by Patterson during his tenure.
ANUG acknowledged that such ‘gifts’ did not start with Patterson and probably will not end with him before arguing that the purchases would not have been possible if an Opposition representative had sat on the Board of the Demerara Harbour Bridge Corporation which is alleged to have spent millions on Patterson and former junior minister Annette Ferguson.
The party used the opportunity to specifically lobby for a nominee of the parliamentary opposition to be appointed to the board of each State corporation and agency.
“For there to be change from the continued misuse and disregard for public and public funds there must be transparency,” ANUG stressed, adding that as long as public agencies are populated by managers and directors handpicked by the political party in power, there is no transparency and the opportunity for graft continues.
An opposition representative, the party posited is likely to “blow the whistle” on any misuse of public funds.
The party highlighted the fact the even though these boards have changed, with the change in Government the system is the same.
“It is time that Guyanese insist on systems of Governance which ensure transparency to hold public officers and Ministers on both sides of the political divide accountable for their actions…ANUG calls on the Government to appoint to the board of each State corporation and agency a nominee of an Opposition Party. This will be a start to transparency,” it maintained.
