| Days after a telling audit report recommended charges against senior officials and for the National IndustrialRobert Badaland Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) to be closed down, prominent businessman,J.R. Smith Jersey, Robert Badal, is calling for action.The forensic audit into the controversial unit which handled privatizations and a number of questionable projects was conducted by former Auditor General, Anand Goolsarran. It is set to be considered by the Cabinet of Ministers today.Under fire is NICIL’s head, Winston Brassington, under whose watch several state assets were sold. A number of projects like the Berbice Bridge and the Marriott Hotel are but two of the projects that are currently under scrutiny.According to Badal, who owns the iconic Pegasus Hotel and a host of other businesses, Brassington and others should be charged without delay.Below is the statement as issued by Mr. Badal:The findings of the recently released report of the forensic audit of NICIL disclosed massive fraud, misuse of public resources, sale of state assets at highly under- valued prices, diversion of billions of taxpayers’ resources away from the Consolidated Fund outside of Parliamentary oversight, but under the control of one man subject to the direction of a political elite.All the transgressions revealed in this audit were executed by the CEO of NICIL,Cheap Nike Air Max 90 Mens Trainers, Winston Brassington and his Deputy, Marcia Nadir-Sharma, without any regard for adhering to even the most elementary norms of transparency,Ales Hemsky Jersey, accountability and due process.Wherever any due process was followed it was flawed, rigged or manipulated. Valuations were influenced or pre-determined,Boston Celtics Jerseys, buyers were pre-selected before the process. In all cases the transferees in the transactions were friends of the ruling elite or nominees thereof. This resulted in massive kickbacks and looting of state assets.Pressure mounting: Winston BrassingtonThe sale to Movietowne and others at G$15M. per acre of land at Liliendaal which would otherwise attract more that G$200M.per acre; giving control of the Berbice Bridge to a politically connected group who subscribed less than 10% of its capital; transfer of ownership of 30% shareholding in GT&T to a Chinese company without receiving full payment, were all examples of flagrant fraud and corruption against the state and people of Guyana.Spending more than US$60M.on the Marriott Hotel without any or any proper economic or feasibility study or in the face of Parliamentary approval constitutes the most lawless abuse of public office.Winston Brassington was allowed unrestricted control of all of NICIL’s business because he was answerable only to one person who directed all of these nefarious and clandestine deals- the most powerful authority at the Office of the President.The Board of NICIL and Cabinet was only a rubber stamp for all the corrupt deals hatched and incubated at the Office of the President and private rooms at a popular city Chinese restaurant.From corrupt real estate deals, to state contracts for overpriced and sometimes expired drugs and infrastructural projects to radio and TV licences and internet assets, there was a massive heist of public resources by a few.Those who opposed the lack of accountability and transparency were harassed, intimidated and victimized. Licences and permits for their businesses were denied or delayed.This was a sad period of bad governance in our country’s history which the people of Guyana have voted to change. The current public outcry demanding charges and consequent conviction of Winston Brassington is well founded. There is a high level of expectation, even impatience that the Government must institute charges without further delay.Such charges do not require cabinet approval or instruction. The intention of the forensic audit was to determine what went wrong and who was responsible. Massive fraud and corruption was revealed. It is therefore time to act.It is the Minister of Finance under whose portfolio NICIL falls who must now instruct the Police to institute fraud and other criminal charges against Mr. Brassington, his assistants, and those who directed their actions.In all parts of the world public officials are charged and jailed for corruption and misuse of state assets,Cheap NBA Jerseys Online, in most cases, for a mere fraction of the acts committed by Mr. Brassington. The Government must usher in a new political culture that ensures that all such acts are punished in order to restore confidence in Government.I am confident that President Granger would direct such action if he has not already done so, but every day that passes sees the tremendous goodwill for the new administration being quickly dissipated.Unless the administration seizes the day, public perceptions may turn frustration into suspicion that the inactivity is deliberate, with serious consequences. Already, persons are muttering that Guyana has not had a true change,Alan Quine Jersey, but only an ‘exchange’. |
