High officials to 'face the music'
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High officials to 'face the music'
- for unaccountable wealthby Michelle Elphage
Guyana Chronicle
November 27, 1999
GOVERNMENT Ministers and other public officials will have to "face the music" for wealth they cannot account for, President Bharrat Jagdeo has assured.
Pressing the thrust against corruption in high office, he told sugar workers from the Enmore estate, East Coast Demerara, Thursday, that government officers have to adhere to the laws governing the declaration of their affluence to the Integrity Commission.
He stressed that defaulters will not be tolerated.
"We have a lot of corruption still in government agencies despite the progress we have made. That has to go", Mr Jagdeo declared.
"People have to understand that when they work in government agencies, they're there to serve the people of the country. They have to understand that and behave that way," he told the gathering.
"We have to ensure that people from all parts of this country have access to government services...Everyone who gets paid from the public treasury has to be accountable...our society has suffered because everyone wants to focus only on his personal development."
The President said accountability has to start from the top and that was why he was taking ministers out to meet the people throughout the country.
"We must be accountable ourselves. We must start by leading by example," he stated to loud applause from the sugar workers.
"The image has to change. People can't want competitive salaries and at the same time come to work at 10 o'clock when they're supposed to be there for 8 o'clock...ministries and all agencies that provide service to the public (must) behave in a consumer-friendly way...(be accountable and efficient). They must support national objectives."
He said this was related to the new permanent secretaries named two Fridays ago, noting that if they cannot get this done, they will have to be accountable too.
Meanwhile, the deadline for designated officials to submit assets and other declarations for this year is December 11, an officer from the Integrity Commission said yesterday.
The source explained that because the office of the Commission was set up in March this year and the legislation had effect since September 1997, backdated declarations had to be made.
Most of these have been received, except for a few where persons have called and asked for an extension, the source explained.
Declarations of assets, liabilities and income have been made by the President, the former President, government ministers, opposition Members of Parliament, members of regional councils, the Commissioner of Police, the Chief of Staff of the Guyana Defence Force, managing directors and managers of state owned or controlled banks and the heads of all government departments, among others.
However, the official said although there have been many allegations of corruption against persons in high office, the Commission has received only one complaint since it started operations.
"There is a mechanism for the public to report alleged acts of corruption," the source explained, noting it had been anticipated that the complaints would have been numerous by the end of this year.
"This would be the proper place to bring the allegations of corruption."
But if complaints are considered frivolous or spiteful, the complainant will be guilty of an offence and liable to a penalty.
However, if the complaint is found to have merit, an investigation will be held by the Commission and the sittings will be public, the official said. The report from the investigation is to be submitted to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and copied to the Head of State.
And if seen fit by the DPP, criminal proceedings are instituted. The fine should be in the vicinity of the value of the gift or imprisonment.
Public officials are required under the 1997 Integrity Commission Act to declare their assets, liabilities and income over a 12-month period to this special body.
The Commission is headed by Anglican Bishop Randolph George and meets twice monthly. The other members are Ms Chandra Gajraj and Mr Fazeel Mohamed Ferouz.
Lawyers from the chambers of the Attorney General also sit in on the meetings.
The single complaint lodged for the year was, however, found by the Commission and its lawyers to be out of the jurisdiction of the body.
A file is prepared for each declarant on their financial status, showing movement of assets and liabilities from year to year. According to the source, supporting documents are also examined to see if assets are reasonably acquired.
An official explained that persons are given a month to submit declarations when they are written to and two warning letters with 15 days grace periods each follow.
If these notices are not adhered to, the third letter will inform the declarant that the matter has gone to the Commission's lawyers and this usually means immediate penalty.
A failure to declare is published in the Official Gazette by the Commission or the President, and the offender is liable to a $25,000 fine and imprisonment no less than six months nor more than a year.
A © page from: Guyana: Land of Six Peoples