Positing that the over $150 million used to conduct state audits was a waste of taxpayers’ money, Leader of the Opposition Bharrat Jagdeo on Tuesday called on government to make all audits undertaken public.
“I am in favour of the Minister of Finance being transparent. They spent $150 million of taxpayers’ money; release the audits that’s where it should start,” Jagdeo told a press conference at PPP headquarters at Freedom House.
Minister of Finance Winston Jordan said that an initial examination of the forensic audits into state-owed entities had identified “many instances” where the laws governing the entities and their operations were “violated with impunity.”
Since coming into office last May, the APNU+AFC government has commissioned several forensic audits to review the performance and efficiency of publicly-owned entities, statutory bodies and projects and activities financed by or through public funds. Most of the audits have been completed, Jordan told the National Assembly during his budget presentation on Friday.
“A preliminary analysis indicates that in a number of cases, there were acts of dishonesty and duplicity, mismanagement of resources, opaqueness of transactions and a disregard for basic internal controls, among others,” he said while adding that this was compounded by the absence or non-existence of functioning internal audit departments.
Jagdeo said he was aware of Jordan’s position but feels that if the Finance Minister knows the findings of audits he would have no problem releasing them for the public’s perusal and assessment. “Release the audits, give it everyone, give it to the newspapers, the TV stations, to everyone. Put up a website and put it there, since we are calling for transparency,” Jadgeo, a former president, stated.
Jagdeo said the public should not lose focus of being guardians of corruption and watch this government as he feels the audits are smoke screens for deals the David Granger administration is engaging in that have not gone through proper procedural measures. He pointed to the proposed purchasing of power from a wind farm at Hope, Berbice, owned by personal friend of Alliance of Change Leader and Vice President Khemraj Ramjattan, labelling it “incestuous”.
“I have heard that Mr Lloyd Singh is the developer of this project. I have seen that reported. I have heard the Minister of Finance in his speech say they are negotiating a power purchase agreement with this company to supply 25 megawatts of power costing $50 million. And that the price will be just under 28 cents so I am imagining just under 14 cents.
“But look at Amaila. We have had many controversies with Amaila but one thing we can say is that it went to a public tender and the lowest bidder won the contract and the evaluation of the road was done by a professional. It was tendered internationally and Blackstone, an international company, won,” he asserted.
“Look at the different approach now. We are hearing through the press that the government is negotiating with this company, no public process. In fact…, on the opening of the AFC office recently… Mr Ramjattan had this to say, ‘I want to single out a personal friend of mine… We were looking for a building and Lloyd said, hey buddy we have to make this thing work. He up-fronted the monies and today we have that building thank you so much Lloyd.’ This is the incestuous relationship… Where is the public tender like we had with Amaila?” Jagdeo added. He said when he had first asked Ramjattan who had financed the building he did not say, but instead laughed.
Jagdeo believes that if there had been agreement for the Amaila hydroelectric project the citizenry would have had an opportunity to be able to get low cost power, more reasonable than the current projection from Singh’s wind farm.
He said that party is aware not only of the agreement with Singh but that government has entered into talks with another company for the supply of power from the Tumatumari Hydro Project. “Where was that tender?” he questioned.
“This is a Fedders Lloyd all over again, a Fedders Lloyd all over again,” he lamented pointing to government’s agreement with Indian firm for the construction of the Specialty Hospital at Liliendaal, East Coast Demerara.
He stressed that should any of his party’s members be found culpable of wrongdoings they are to face the full brunt of the law. “If anyone has broken the law you can refer them to the police. But first thing, it starts with is releasing the audits, because…they used our money to do these,” he added.
His call comes on the heels of another former president Donald Ramotar challenging government to not speak in generality but “bring the evidence” as he believes their allegations cannot withstand scrutiny. “I think they are grasping at straws. I am pretty confident that we had a system that can stand up to scrutiny…. Bring the evidence and I have said before and am saying again, if they find people culpable, let them go ahead and charge. We have nothing to be afraid of,” Ramotar had told Stabroek News earlier this week.
Questioned on the position of releasing the audits and producing evidence when a sitting parliamentarian and member of his party is currently before the courts on several fraud charges, Jagdeo shied away from answering saying the matter was sub judice.
However, he stressed that once there was no “witch hunting” and persons are given due process then so be it “This matter is in court and while I have sought explanations and gotten explanations I cannot speak about this here, because these things are part of her defence,” he stated.
“But as it unfolds, let me make it clear if the investigations are done professionally then any member of the PPP who has to face the court for any alleged wrongdoing, they have to face the consequences, once the investigations are done professionally,” he said.
