Oil and Gas Academic, Charles Ramson Junior is accusing President David Granger of adopting a wobbly stance when it comes to dealing with corruption under his regime.
The former parliamentarian, in a missive to the media today, referred to the recent debacle at the Guyana Oil Company (GuyOil) Limited, where a senior official was accused by a Trinidadian company of demanding a bribe.
Ramson said that the matter has since faded, with the company refuting these claims. He posited that more should have been done, especially by the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU).
“Corruption has destroyed many countries, and this is, of course, a very serious allegation of corruption which requires a thorough investigation. At the very least, SOCU should have investigated the allegations and taken statements from the officer of the Trinidadian Company and the CEO (Chief Executive Officer) of GUYOIL and send the file for advice on prosecution,” Ramson emphasised.
The officer from the Trinidadian company alleged that she received a call from the GUYOIL official demanding the bribe – a claim which was denied by the CEO.
Ramson said that with an investigation, this could either be proved or disproved with a record of the call log.
“If it turns out that the Trinidadian company officer has made false allegations, then she should be charged. If it turns out that the CEO of GUYOIL was lying, then she should be charged, and the minister should be questioned. The fact that there has been no investigation or charges says to the entire world that the Granger administration is not serious about fighting corruption but is encouraging it and using state machinery for political persecution,” the attorney-at-law said.
