Shariff sacked as presidential ministry PS
The services of Omar Shariff as Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of the Presidency (MOTP) were terminated as of December 31st, 2016, the ministry announced yesterday. In a statement, the ministry said Abena Moore has been appointed to the position of substantive Permanent Secretary as of January 3rd, 2017.
On June 30th, 2016, Shariff was sent on leave by Minister of State Joseph Harmon, pending an investigation by the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) of the Guyana Police Force.
Harmon had said Shariff was sent on leave to facilitate the ongoing investigation into the acquisition of his personal assets and accounts. A Ministry of the Presidency statement had reported him as saying that the exorbitant accumulation of property and wealth, which cannot be justified by income by any public servant, regardless of their position in the administration, would raise questions.
Shariff, in a statement, had said that SOCU had launched an investigation into a personal matter related to tax remittance and compliance regarding his legitimate business operations over the past few years and pointed out that his business and the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) have been in engagement on the issue since early 2007.