Dear Editor,
Obscuring or distorting facts cannot make a lie anything other than the lie it is, and I wish to denounce untruthful statements made by Opposition MP Jermaine Figueira in an article published in a daily newspaper headlined “Govt. members a no-show at PAC for 3 consecutive weeks.”
The article alleges that the work of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), continues to suffer due to the continued absence of the Government members of the Committee.
Fact No. 1 – The fact that the PAC did not meet does not mean the PPP/C is hiding or allowing corrupt practices, we are examining the period of the APNU+AFC, with the years 2019 and 2020 still to be examined. We have just concluded the examination of the year 2018.
“I rather suspect that Mr. Figueira is grieved and that he wants to use the PAC to gloss over that period of wasteful illegal spending by the APNU+AFC Government, pretending that it never happened, but I assure you it did and the evidence is there.”
Glaring was the $10B wastage in expired drugs which had to be dumped, and then there was the $12.5M rental fee for the Sussex Street drug bond which went on for several years, and let’s not forget the fiasco that surrounded D’ Urban Park, and the three (3) weigh-in-motion scales in which the sum of $72.264M was paid for the supply and delivery, however, to date, nothing has been delivered, even after 100% payment of the contract sum was made. The party engaged was the APNU+AFC campaign manager.
The PAC still has to scrutinise the illegal and unconstitutional spending which took place after the passage of the no-confidence motion against the APNU+AFC government, as well as the over five months of spending during the continual and unconstitutional occupation of office.
Fact 2 – Mr. Figueira would be happy to conduct a PAC in the absence of the PPP/C, but we saw that coming, that’s why we changed the quorum to ensure that we have proper accountability. The Standing Orders which govern the PAC now require that a quorum for a meeting includes two members of government, two members of the opposition, and the chairman to be present.”
Previous to this change, a PAC quorum constituted of any three (3) PAC members, which could very well be three (3) APNU+AFC members glossing over their period of spending.
Fact 3 – Mr. Figueira, before setting meetings for the PAC at your own whim and fancies, you should at the bare minimum consult with the lead person of the PPP/C, which is the Hon. Gail Teixeira, so that we could have an agreement on dates for meetings.
Fact 4 – The PPP/C is eager and able to bring to the Guyanese public the glaring corruption, including breaches of the APNU+AFC while in office. We will do that at every duly constituted meeting where there is a quorum.
Yours faithfully,
Bishop Juan Edghill
Minister of Public Works
