Dear Editor,
THE global economic loss due to corrupt practices is approximately US$1trillion annually. Millions of lives are affected daily due to this scourge, and the beneficiaries of corrupt practices are relentless in attacking those fighting against corruption.

It thus comes as no surprise that the former president, who will never govern this land again, and the embattled former Attorney-General, Anil Nandlall, have once again made cheap attempts to tarnish my incorruptible reputation. It is known that I am the CEO of SARA, a United Nations-supported anti-corruption agency, and this therefore makes me a prime target of manipulative, wicked, deceitful and corrupt persons who are bent on regaining access to enrich themselves by stealing the State’s assets.

Jagdeo and his cabal have spared no effort in attempting to discredit SOCU and SARA. Last year, Anil Nandlall was on the prowl again as he deliberately and recklessly published the salaries earned by all employees at SARA and included their names, a couple of whom have since been the targets of bandits in separate incidents. On June 27, 2019, Jagdeo and Nandlall went on another reckless rampage, publishing the names of myself and other Afro-Guyanese public servants who are in possession of farmlands.  It is only fair that I clarify and set the record straight to debunk the astonishingly foolish and indeed libelous claims of corruption peddled by Bharrat Jagdeo and Anil Nandlall.

I obtained a plot of land at Yarowkabra and built a house on it 41 years ago (1978). At the time, residents were encouraged to apply for 5-10 acres of land for agricultural purposes. I made such an application in the early 2000s, but, apparently, this was simply ignored. I applied again for 10 acres in 2013, and again in 2014, but my requests for cheap farmlands were never granted under the PPPC administration. My request was finally granted in December 2017, and I obtained 10.14 acres of sand and jungle in Yarrowkabra.

It is no secret that Anil Nandall, who is wrongly accusing me of being a beneficiary of corrupt practices, is currently before the criminal courts for allegedly stealing law books from the State worth millions of dollars of taxpayers’ money. My application for land at Yarrowkabra took so long to process that I applied for an acre of land at Mocha, paid for, and hence received same through legal means.

All of my life God Almighty, in whom I trust, has kept me from the temptation of corruption. Can either of you say the same Bharrat Jagdeo and Anil Nandlall? The entire Guyanese population knows the answer to that question. I stand ready to account for all that I have, as none of it was achieved by stealing law books or prematurely selling residential land bought from CH&PA at a massive profit, then buying more State land cheaply, or by falsifying university certificates, manipulating systems whenever convenient, and flouting procurement procedures to give competitive advantage to friends in business.

Regards,
Aubrey Heath-Retymeyer
Deputy Director,
State Assets Recovery Agency (SARA)