TIGI still awaiting reply from Harmon on request for meeting

Three weeks after Transparency Institute of Guyana Inc (TIGI) wrote to Minister of State Joseph Harmon requesting a meeting, the organisation is still to hear from him.

This is according to TIGI President Troy Thomas.

Thomas told Stabroek News in April that the organisation had written to the minister seeking to engage him on issues of concern as directed by President David Granger.

Last month, TIGI had accused Harmon of corruption in the light of his admission that 34 individuals were appointed government advisors as a reward for campaign donations and support.

“Support during the campaign for office is necessarily support for a political party. The Minister of State is confirming that the government has been using its position to employ and reward, out of state resources, its supporters and donors. By the Minister’s own admission, well-paying and prestigious jobs and other privileges were up for sale during the 2015 elections campaign in which the party stood on an anti-corruption and transparency platform. By any international standard, the conduct of Mr Harmon and by extension, the government, constitutes corruption,” TIGI said in a statement on the matter.

This position has since been deemed outrageous by President Granger, who said the group should have sought clarifications from Harmon before issuing its statement to the press.

“In response to President Granger, TIGI will make an exception to our policy of using what is publicly available and will write Minister Harmon to request a meeting and to send him a set of questions on the matter at hand. Without fear or favour, TIGI remains committed to working with the government, citizens and other organisations to foster transparency and to stamp out corruption,” TIGI said in a statement.

Since that time, Harmon has issued a statement addressing other concerns which surrounded his trip to China. He has not, however, provided the names of the advisors nor stated how they assisted the coalition during the campaign.

In response to these statement, Thomas had said that while the Minister has issued a statement on the appointment of advisors his statement did not address the fact that these individuals helped the party before the elections so TIGI would still be seeking a meeting, especially since it also has several questions about other matters surrounding his trip to China.