APNU+AFC yesterday warned of alleged attempts to destroy public records at various government offices, while calling on police to investigate the reports and safeguard the property of the people.
In a statement, the coalition said it had been informed that efforts were underway at various ministries and government offices to destroy documents.
In particular, it said there was credible evidence that there was an unusual amount of shredding taking place at the Privatisation Unit, which is headed by Winston Brassington.
However, Brassington denied the allegation, while stating that he was dumbfounded by the type of “scare tactics” being employed by the opposition during the elections. “We are not shredding any public documents. I’m confident in this.
I have checked with the managerial team at the Unit and the Auditor General’s Office and I was told of nothing of such sort,” Brassington said. He also blasted the coalition for showing no regards for what he says is the truth.
The National Industrial and Commercial Invest-ments Limited (NICIL)/ Privatisation Unit (PU) subsequently issued a statement in which it refuted APNU+AFC’s claims, while announcing that it had invited the Auditor General’s office to investigate. “Upon reading this nonsense from APNU+AFC, the management of NICIL has called in the Auditor General’s office to verify management’s position and to interview staff to confirm that absolutely no public documents, records and files are or have been destroyed,” it said.
In its statement, APNU+AFC also im-plored public servants to resist any attempt to be intimidated into the illegal destruction of public records and files. “APNU+AFC warns that persons involved in this nefarious activity will be prosecuted after the May 11th elections,” it added.
PPP/C officials have said in the past that government records, including those of Cabinet from the previous administration, were destroyed upon their entering government after the October 5th, 1992 elections.
“I walked into the Ministry of Health, as the Minister of Health, on October the 13th, 1992. The incinerator was burning and, as I walked into the compound, files were been thrown out of the Ministry of Health into it. The incinerator was full,” former Health Minister and now presidential advisor Gail Teixeira said during an address to National Assembly in 2012.
