Minister of Agriculture Zulfikar Mustapha earlier this week revealed that the internal audits at the Guyana Marketing Corporation (GMC) have been completed and the ministry was awaiting an update from the Office of the Auditor General regarding further verification. At the time of publication, the Auditor General was unavailable for comment on the matter.
The GMC, which plays a role in agricultural marketing and distribution in Guyana, has faced scrutiny in recent months over its financial practices. On September 18, the Ministry of Agriculture revealed that the Office of the Auditor General would undertake a thorough verification and certification process concerning a reported financial discrepancy at the GMC.
GMC General Manager Teshawna Lall had told this newspaper on September 11 that she initiated an audit after detecting irregularities between the accounting department and the special projects unit, and was awaiting a decision on the way forward from the Ministry of Agriculture. However, her assertion that she was the driving force behind the audit’s launch conflicted with a statement issued by the Ministry of Agriculture, which claimed that it was Mustapha who initiated the investigation.
Meanwhile, GMC Special Projects Manager Nikita Walters had denied allegations that she was involved in irregularities, and asserted that she was being victimized in an internal investigation, prompted by discrepancies in chicken sales receipts. Walters had explained that she only learned about the audit informally while on leave. She clarified that she had not performed any chicken-related duties since June. “I have presented all documents to the accounting department,” she stated, firmly denying any collusion with the accountant.
It was suggested that missing customer names on chicken sales receipts pointed to possible collusion. Lall reported that the absence of customer information raised concerns about transparency in transactions. However, Walters stressed, “The missing customer names were due to the company’s practice of selling chicken to various individuals, including church members and family members, for personal use. During the Christmas season, not everyone was willing or interested in providing their names.”
