The PNCR today responded to remarks made by Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo yesterday over a vehicle being used by former President David Granger.
A statement from the PNCR follows:
The People’s National Congress has noted remarks published in the state-owned Guyana Chronicle newspaper dated Saturday 3rd October 2020 headlined “Granger exited office with $35.2M Lexus”. The newspaper attributed the remarks to Vice-President Bharrat Jagdeo at a press conference which he held on Friday 2nd October at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre.
The PNC wishes to make it clear that Former President David Granger is entitled only to benefits and facilities which are in accordance with the “Former Presidents (Benefits and other Facilities) Act”. These include the provision of “…not more than two motor vehicles maintained by the state.” These conditions are identical to those provided to former presidents Samuel Hinds, Bharrat Jagdeo and Donald Ramotar.
Mr Granger was assigned a motor vehicle which remains part of a reserve fleet of state-owned motor cars. The fleet’s vehicles were used for of the ceremonial inauguration convoy of President Irfaan Ali and state and official visits of President Akufo-Addo of Ghana; Prime Ministers Ralph Gonsalves, Keith Mitchell, Mia Mottley, Keith Rowley, and Roosevelt Skerritt of the Caribbean Community and some members of the delegation accompanying Secretary of State Michael Pompey of the USA, among others.
The vehicle to which Vice-President Jagdeo referred could have been assigned for Mr Granger’s use only by the Office of the President. It is the property of the Government of Guyana. It is not private property. It could be withdrawn at any time at the discretion and on the direction of the President and replaced with another in accordance with the “Former Presidents (Benefits and other Facilities) Act”.