OPPOSITION Leader Bharrat Jagdeo is calling on President David Granger and the government to hire a reputable international firm to trace stolen state assets.
At his weekly press conference on Monday at his Church Street, Georgetown office, Jagdeo said, “I am calling on President Granger once again to hire an international firm of his choice that has reputation to trace the assets of all former MPs, former members of the cabinet, former Presidents and current ones…Then a report of that nature can be presented to the country.”

He said government has been very liberal with its accusations of corruption against PPP officials and all information on corruption should be released to the public.
Noting that the Director of the State Assets Recovery Agency (SARA), Professor Clive Thomas said the agency will be moving to the court later this year to recover assets stolen from the state, Jagdeo questioned why wait so long when the process can begin immediately.

“People have been telling them that they are in office for three years and no charges have been made yet… that’s why the spurious and minor charges were made against Ashni Singh and Brassington, so they can say that they fulfilled their commitment and charge them” Jagdeo said

He said if SARA has any integrity as a body it would look at the rampant fuel smuggling currently being investigated by the Guyana Revenue Authority. Professor Thomas had explained that cases are being prepared and he expects that by the third quarter, his entity will be placing specific focus on approximately 10 of approximately 60 cases being investigated. “The cases are in the process of preparation. They may not all be held in the courts of Guyana…so the court cases will start in the fourth quarter of this year,” he said, noting that some cases involve multiple individuals.

Thomas made it clear that in going abroad to retrieve state assets; SARA is looking at bank accounts, money and financial instruments. However, locally, some cases involve the retrieval of lands. “Some cases are already in the criminal court but they have a civil dimension to them. Pradoville is a criminal case but it has a civil dimension.”