Leader of the Opposition, Aubrey Norton today declared that the country is in crisis, as it faces high levels of corruption under the current Government. 

Citing a number of alleged cases of corruption, the Opposition Leader said corruption is now creeping into a number of institutions across the country. He accused the Government of fueling corruption.

During a broadcast across social media, Mr. Norton pointed to alleged acts of corruption linked to the Vice President, the recent US sanctions against a Permanent Secretary and two businessmen, and allegations of widespread corruption in the award of Government contracts and procurement.

“Guyana is in crisis; it is in a governance crisis. Corruption is eating away the society…Why is it, so many senior government officials are under scrutiny by the United States Government. Clearly, one of the things we must note that while we were in government, we had permitted the DEA to come here, something that the PPP refused, which would have meant that they had persons here scrutinizing, the diplomatic community here engaging, and would know what is happening. So, I think clearly, the Government is seriously involved in corrupted activities, and what in essence you are seeing is a clamp down on them and they trying to browbeat the Guyanese people that these things are routine,” Norton said.

Turning his attention to the Guyana Police Force, the Opposition Leader said political interference in the Police Force has now resulted in widespread corruption across the Force.

“The politicization of the Police Force has placed it where it is. If you politicize the police force, the police force now knows that they don’t have to be accountable to the commissioner. You hear some of them talking about going directly to the president, some going to the vice president, so, almost immediately, you remove the line of command and create multiple points of power that policemen can access, and in the process, you undermine the structure of the police. With an undermined structure, senior policemen believe that they can be involved in illegalities, and get away with it because they have to protect persons. Let us not forget they would have had to get instructions to deal with allegations of rape against, Minister [Nigel] Dharamlall at the time,” the Opposition Leader reasoned. 

 Just last week, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Calvin Brutus, requested and was granted leave to allow an investigation into alleged acts of financial impropriety.

At a Police symposium on Tuesday, the Minister of Home Affairs also complained about corruption within the Guyana Police Force.

On the issue of alleged acts of corruption involving Police Officers, Opposition Leader Norton said any investigation into those acts has to be done by a reputable agency or by reputable persons outside of the Police Force.

“Corruption is one of the causes of poverty in societies because when the elite is corrupted, they carry away millions, billions of dollars in this case, and the people don’t benefit…We believe there is need for infrastructure work, but you double the budget, you lack the capacity to implement a lot of these projects, then it is clear, you are using it as a means of corruption, and once it is being used as  means of corruption you are virtually reducing your ability to deliver to the people of Guyana and take them out of poverty,” the Opposition Leader said. 

 He said the Opposition will continue to support anti-corruption measures to root out corruption in the country. Mr. Norton said he is not convinced that the current Government has any interest in fighting corruption.

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