Good cases or time wasted?
diplomat on internal matters of the state.
Furthermore, having submitted all information, including the Public Procurement Commission’s report on its findings on the award of the contract for the New Demerara Harbour Bridge, as well as my official statement, to the SOCU, it would be interesting to know if this will be classified as a “good” case. I am patiently waiting to see what happens next.
At least one of the purposes of the High Commissioner’s August press conference was to blow the UK government’s proverbial trumpet of “getting value for money as it relates to the operation of the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU), under the guidance of Financial Investigations Advisor, Dr Sam Sittlington.” One wonders, however, what were the criteria used to come up with that conclusion. Is there some target set for the number of cases to be brought as part of the conditions for the UK’s funding?
Neither the public nor the National Assembly know how much of the UK taxpayers’ money is being expended by either the UK government or the High Commission on the provision of Dr Sittlington’s services to the SOCU, nor do we know what are his terms of reference.
Again, the Guyanese people are none the wiser with regards to the fate of the Security Sector Reform report, which was prepared by another British Adviser on Security, Russell Combe, and submitted to the government since May 2018. Yet, the High Commissioner stated on October 2, 2018 that that course “is part of the latest round of training for Guyanese law enforcement, which is part of the broader support from the United Kingdom for the security sector reform”.
Isn’t it time that we learn from the Guyanese heads of law enforcement agencies what is taking place, as opposed to these snippets from foreign advisers or diplomats?
Isn’t it more important for the Guyanese public to have some sense of confidence in the SOCU, an investigative body, and, in fact, all civilian law enforcement agencies, as being professional and free from political interference, whether internal or external to our borders?
Yours faithfully, Gail Teixeira, M.P., Parliamentary Opposition Chief Whip Chairperson of the Parliamentary Sectoral Committee on Foreign Relations