REPRESENTATIVES of the World Bank’s Stolen Assets Recovery Agency (STAR) are currently in Guyana to meet with various stakeholders.Minister of State Joseph Harmon said the mission commenced its meeting here Wednesday.
“That scoping mission is here in the country; they started their meetings this morning [Wednesday] and they will continue meeting with various personnel in the government, civil society, the judiciary and in all agencies that can advise on what needs to be done with respect to the recovery of stolen assets,” Harmon said at a post-Cabinet news briefing at the Ministry of the Presidency in Georgetown.
According to Harmon, the mission’s meetings with stakeholders will result in the crafting of an action plan that is to be submitted by March 28. The group will work out with the State Asset Recovery Unit (SARU) the way forward in that regard.
The representatives of STAR are scheduled to meet with Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs Basil Williams on Friday morning, according to an advisory from the Ministry of Legal Affairs.
Over the past few months, the APNU+AFC coalition has been placing much emphasis on the recovery of state assets and has since sought assistance from several international firms in that regard.
Just after taking office in May last year, the coalition government reported that state assets, including vehicles, were in the possession of Dr Jennifer Westford, former Public Service Minister under the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) government. She is currently before the court for attempting to transfer state property to her friends and herself.
Additionally, other former government officials are being investigated. Government believes that evidence will be forthcoming to substantiate its claim that the former PPP government was involved in corruption.