Dear Editor,
When Dr Ashni Singh was Finance Minister and his wife was working in the same Ministry, Dr Singh, his family and the PPP/C Government went through tremendous criticisms from the PNCR, other political parties and certain sections of the media. The cry was “conflict of interest”. This was also the fate of Mr Khurshid Sattaur – former Commissioner General of Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) and his sons during their employment at GRA.
Today, the officials of the coalition Government are doing worse in every sector of the country and the overwhelming silence from the media and civil society is deafening. This Government needs to understand that their officials are “Politically Exposed Persons” (PEPs) and the standard operating procedures must be applied.
They are required by law to declare annually all their assets, contracts, businesses, etc, and they cannot be involved in certain activities or business.
Mr Charles Ceres and Mr S Hopkinson are known businessmen and they are entitled to land and other State contracts, etc but they also should do their due diligence and refrain from investing with known PEPs, State officials.
We have already seen the demise of SOCU through massive corruption and now SARA is about to face similar questioning. The President seems to be in a perpetual state of slumber with so many inappropriate things happening under his nose. Wake up, sir!
Yours truly,
Ragubeer Persaud