Former Minister of Public Health, Dr. George Norton was yesterday charged with misconduct in public office by SOCU over the controversial renting of a Sussex Street bond for the storing of drugs which had dogged the former APNU+AFC government.
A release yesterday from the Guyana Police Force noted that an audit with respect to the rental of the Lot 29 Sussex Street, Albouystown warehouse facility, and which covered the period 1st July, 2016 to 30th June, 2019 had been conducted by the Audit Office of Guyana.
Pursuant to the said audit, the matter was then forwarded to the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) where investigations revealed that in 2016, Norton “unlawfully instructed Trevor Thomas (then Permanent Secretary) of the said Ministry not to engage the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) with respect to the tender and/or any submission of any justification for a single-source award to Linden Holding Inc. for the rental of the Lot 29 Sussex Street, Albouystown warehouse facility, for storage of pharmaceuticals, in accordance with the Procurement Act. Cap. 73:01”.
