RESIDENTS of Region 2 are calling on President Donald Ramotar to investigate the selling of bogus tickets to members of the public for the Essequibo Nite 2012 event.
According to reliable party sources, the six Essequibo Nite preparatory committee meetings were held on the 28-08-2012.The first two meetings were chaired by a top official within the Regional Democratic Council. The remaining four meetings were partially

chaired by Regional Vice-Chairman Mr. Vishnu Samaroo.

The last preparatory meeting was held on Thursday, October 4, 2012, when sub-committees were formed in the different fields, such as (1) Accommodation and Security, (2) Ground, (3) Cultural, (4) Advertisement and Decoration for the event. A secretariat for Essequibo Nite 2012 was also established to look at logistical arrangements for allocation of booths, agencies participation, tickets, musical band and other arrangements.
The Regional Development Officer was delegated to perform the duty as a coordinator for the secretariat. All the tickets were printed with security features at the New Guyana Company at Industrial Site, Georgetown. These tickets were uplifted by the Regional Development Officer (RDO) on Tuesday, October 2, 2012, and were in his possession. These Essequibo Nite tickets were taken over by the regional official for safe-keeping in his office on Wednesday, October 3, 2012, along with a certified stamp.
During the period from Wednesday to Friday, these tickets were checked in a detailed way, and packed in sequence according to numbers, as per reliable sources. The regional official acknowledged that tickets received from the New Guyana Company were correct, and only one ticket did not have a number.
The tickets and stamps remained in the office of the regional official from Wednesday, October 3 to Friday, October 5, 2012. At about 3.30 pm, the Regional Development Officer collected the stamp from the regional official to stamp the receipts and the tickets. These stamped tickets were allocated to the persons working in the two ticket booths.
During the last night of the Essequibo Nite 2012 event, the ticket collectors revealed at the Anna Regina Community Centre Ground that a series of bogus tickets, valued about $500,000, were being sold to patrons. After investigation, those tickets were found to be sold at the first booth opposite the Fire Station, where the official’s son was selling tickets.
These tickets had no security features, and were found to be different from those printed by the New Guyana Company.

It was also revealed by the official that 200 of the tickets with security features were missing from his office before the event, but he never reported it to the committee.

Editor, the issue is not only about bogus tickets, it is an issue of some 200 tickets missing under the watchful eyes of the high official and his team, since the tickets and stamps were in his sole control.

Monies collected from the two-night event are still in the possession of the said official, and his office where the 200 tickets were missing, and which appears to be insecure. Approximately $6M is lying there, which act is a breach of financial regulations.