People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) General Secretary, Amna Ally yesterday dismissed renewed public allegations that state funds were used to purchase tickets distributed to party supporters for the 2019 Buju Banton “I am Legend” concert as she maintained it was from donations to the party.
“The Facebookers probably know more than me… I have said where we got the money from to pay for the tickets and I cannot go rehashing everything I have said,” Ally yesterday told Stabroek News, following a social media blow up of allegations that a PPP/C government assessment launched last week will reveal that the monies came from the state’s lottery funds.
She went on to state that the allegations in the posts are untrue, as she maintained that her party paid for the tickets to distribute to supporters.
“It is more than eye pass toward our party. We have already said where we got the money from to purchase the tickets. Whoever is egging the Facebookers, I wish them the best of luck,” she stressed.
Many persons took to social media platforms to comment on allegations being circulated that the new PPP/C government had unearthed evidence showing that the APNU+AFC government would have spent $50M in tickets for the Buju Banton Concert held on the eve of Independence last year.
The event was among a lineup of shows as part of the Guyana Carnival calendar of activities.
The posts have alleged that the then government would have used the money to finance the concert and purchased tickets to be distributed to supporters. It was also stated that the money was accessed from the Lotto Fund.
Sources close to the four-man technical team assembled by President Irfaan Ali to assess the management and financial standing of key state agencies told this newspaper that discovering the origin of the funding for the tickets was a task they are working fervently on.
Then General Secretary of the PPP and Leader of the Opposition, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo had claimed that $40 million of state resources was used by the then government to purchase the tickets, which were later distributed to mainly supporters of the coalition government. He had claimed that 8,000 tickets were purchased at a cost of $5,000 each.
Ally had dismissed the claims as she boasted that “Not government’s money. It’s the PNC’s money,” when asked last year if taxpayers’ money was used to purchase the tickets.
With more than $800M generated from “lotto funds” to the state annually, some critics have said that it was the avenue used to channel the money for the ticket purchases. In 2019, over $900M was received from the Lottery Company.
Those monies can be deposited entirely into the Consolidated Fund or spent by government on social, cultural or other projects it sees as fit for the upward mobility of its people.
This newspaper understands that the team of assessors will today be meeting with persons responsible for the oversight of the funds, to gain clarity on some issues.
