The Audit Office is still to conclude its special investigation into the controversial billion-dollar D’Urban Park Development Project.
The probe was launched in early 2017 and the preliminary findings were included in the 2017 Auditor General’s (AG) report on the public accounts of Guyana. In the latest AG’s report for the fiscal year ending 31 December 2018, it was noted that on March 11, 2019, the Audit Office made a request to the Ministry of Public Infrastructure (MPI) for additional documentation for the project.
“Some documents have since been submitted to the Audit Office. At the time of reporting in September 2019, the Audit Office was perusing the said documents,” the report said. The 2018 report, which was presented to Speaker of the National Assembly Dr Barton Scotland on September 30th last year, was not laid in the Assembly prior to its dissolution last month. However, a copy has been seen by Stabroek News.
The latest AG report provides a summary of findings of the investigation and as previously reported, said that up to December 31st, 2017, amounts totaling almost $1.150 billion were spent on the project. The report reiterated that payment vouchers to support expenditure totalling $107.119 million were not produced for audit examination while there is no evidence of checks on works for which the private company that started the project, Homestretch Development Inc (HDI), was given half a billion. In May last year, Stabroek News reported that the Audit Office was awaiting the submission of additional information from the MPI to complete the audit of the spending associated with the controversial D’Urban Park project.
MPI, in December 2018, was given a draft report with a request for a response within 30 days. This did not happen owing to budget preparations. The report, with the ministry’s comments, was hand delivered to the Audit Office on January 29, 2019.
The ministry has said it had no responsibility for the project prior to April 9, 2016, and claimed that 84 vouchers it had submitted as part of the investigation in January and February 2017, are yet to be returned.
In November 2015, then Governance Minister Raphael Trotman had announced that Cabinet had given the go-ahead for contracts for the transformation of D’Urban Park into a “Green Zone Recreational Park,” in time for Guyana’s 50th anniversary celebrations the following year.
Larry London was subsequently revealed to be a part owner of HDI. It was later learnt that then Education Minister Dr Rupert Roopnaraine was also a director of HDI. President David Granger had defended his involvement with the company, saying that the minister’s role was only to represent the government’s interests.
From all indications, HDI, through donations both from local persons and those in the diaspora, commenced work at the site in September 2015, about two months before government officially announced what was happening there. It was subsequently handed over to the MPI.
Over $1 billion had been spent on the project – a large parade ground with wooden stands – and despite this, the National Assembly had been asked to approve millions in extra-budgetary spending to meet additional costs.
