THE interviewing of several senior members of the PPP on alleged fraud at the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) has attracted some criticism of harassment, but President David Granger has said: “If there is nothing to hide”, then “there is nothing to fear”.

Recently, several high-level officials of the PPP, namely former Prime Minister Samuel Hinds; former Advisor on Governance, Gail Teixeira; former Housing and Tourism Minister Irfaan Ali, and Member of Parliament (MP) Nigel Dharamlall were called in for questioning by the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU).

The allegations of fraud stem from an audit report conducted by former Auditor General Anand Goolsarran, which has resulted in the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of NICIL, Winston Brassington, and his deputy being sent on leave.

Yesterday, former Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr Roger Luncheon, was also interviewed by SOCU.

This interviewing of the PPP top guns has been frowned upon by current party Chief Whip Gail Teixeira, who on Wednesday told reporters that, on separate occasions, her comrades were approached by ranks of SOCU, and “summoned on separate occasions to be questioned on issues surrounding the audit”.
Ms Teixeira did not disclose details of the interview, but said: “They (SOCU) said it’s the first phase of looking at the statements and issues raised in Mr Goolsarran’s report that relate to criminal activity.”

Mr Goolsarran, in his report, said numerous discrepancies were unearthed during the audit.

President Granger, on his weekly television programme “The Public Interest”, on Thursday told the Guyana Chronicle that there were problems with the holding company, and matters that require criminal investigations are determined by the Guyana Police Force.

SOCU is part of the Police Force. The claim of harassment is therefore groundless, but those with clean hands have nothing to fear, he told this publication.
“I don’t stop and start these investigations. Well, if they have nothing to hide, why should they complain? If they are interviewed, they should simply say what they know. Everyone knows that there were problems with the company in question, NICIL, and if they have done no wrong they have nothing to fear,” he said as he dismissed the claim of harassment.

NO POLITICAL DIRECTION
“There has been no political direction, and I don’t get the impression that they have been called more than once. It is not that they have been frequently called (or that) the interviews have been stressful. I don’t see that there are grounds for [such] complaints,” he said.

Government, back in December, 2015, had turned over Mr Goolsarran’s report to the Guyana Police Force to facilitate its investigation.

Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, in announcing the criminal probe, said Cabinet had deliberated on the report, submitted to it, and made several directives despite the fact that the Board of Directors of NICIL has not yet deliberated on the report.

The President said there were suggestions that the report, accompanying notes of the consultant and advice of the minister be surrendered to the Commissioner of Police and the Special Organised Crime Unit for investigation. As to whether there were any acts of criminality committed by those concerned, and the procedure to take the process forward, it was suggested that the said reports be submitted to the Auditor General for a more precise audit of its issues. It was also suggested that the Minister of Finance give instructions for a transaction audit of NICIL to be conducted and to facilitate all of these things; that the CEO and the deputy CEO of NICIL be sent on administrative leave immediately, pending the outcome of the actions that have to be taken, he added.

Brassington had denied any illicit actions, stating, “As far as I know, I have not broken any laws; and if Mr Goolsarran is suggesting it, then I believe I have a clear defence on why what we did was properly done, and we should not be held responsible. I am willing to testify, but you can’t bring a charge up on the basis of a law that has been clearly contradicted by all the lawyers, and there is no evidence of it being broken,” he said.

Former President Bharrat Jagdeo, in October last year, had advised swift action against corrupt persons under his watch.
Mr Jagdeo, who is now Opposition Leader, had told reporters that Government should “find” them “and lock them up”.

By Tajeram Mohabir