The Ministry of Home Affairs today lambasted the Kaieteur News over its claim that a whistleblower had provided it with information on an alleged scam surrounding the auctioning of police vehicles.
The ministry charged that KN was trying to cover up that it has been paying the police for information, an act the ministry charged is encouraging corruption.
The ministry’s statement follows:
“The Ministry of Home Affairs wishes to state that it is not spell bound by the “disclosure” in the Monday, July 16, 2012 Kaieteur News Front page story concerning alleged wrong doings by some Ranks at the Guyana Police Force and the Ministry of Home Affairs in respect to an auction of Police vehicles held on March 23, 2012.
“The uncharacteristic claim by “Kaieteur News that it did not make public the information “since the authenticity of the information was being verified” is laughable to say the least. Since when does Kaieteur News make effort to “verify the authenticity” of scoops?
“The Ministry of Home Affairs stands by every word in its Press Release issued on July 12, 2012.
“The Ministry of Home Affairs wishes to emphasize that the Kaieteur News’ “whistle blower” is no mystery man. He is well known at the Ministry of Home Affairs. Only a few weeks ago he was on the phone to the Ministry enquiring about the status of the investigation into the alleged wrong doings in connection with the same auction.
“All the documents he left with the Ministry on the matter are in the hands of the Police since April 2012 when the Ministry, under the hand of the Permanent Secretary wrote formally to the Commissioner of Police requesting “a full and immediate investigation” into the matter.
“As far as the Ministry of Home Affairs is concerned whether, the expose resulted from a “whistle blower”, Facebook, the Office of the President; the Ministry of Home Affairs or the Media, the fact of the matter is that information surfaced alleging wrong doing at the auction of vehicles belonging to the Guyana Police Force.
“The Ministry of Home Affairs wishes to make it clear that it is not in the game of playing upmanship nor jostling for press coverage when addressing such matters. It does not matter who did it, what is important is that it came to light and the Ministry responsible demanded an investigation.
“Monday’s Kaieteur News front page story exposed once again its cloven hooves. It was a brazen attempt by Kaieteur News to cover up for those who were involved in the wrong doing and those who are paid in exchange for information about the Guyana Police Force.
“It is no secret that the Kaieteur News pays cash in exchange for information about happenings within the Force.
“While the Kaieteur News wants people to believe it is fighting corruption, it is in fact encouraging corruption within the Force by offering “big bucks” in exchange for information about happenings within the Guyana Police Force.
“Try as desperately, cynically or cleverly as it may, every reader of the Kaieteur News knows that that newspaper offers cash for information about the Guyana Police Force. To try now to cover up for it corrupt concubinage with some ranks within the Force by floating its “whistle blower” and by making the public claim that the Ministry of Home Affairs attempted a cover up the matter will convince no one.
“The Kaieteur News likes to pride itself by strutting around claiming occupancy of all the space for bad news in Guyana leaving the space for good news only to the Government. But this will soon evaporate leaving the Kaieteur News less and less space to flaunt everyone else’s dirty linen except itself.”
