Opposition Executive Member, Bishop Juan Edghill has written the Police Commissioner, Leslie James, requesting inquiries into the awarding of public work contracts that were budgeted for in 2019, but signed in 2020. He contends that it is not allowed under the law for such an arrangement.
In the letter seen by this publication, Edghill referenced Article 217(1) of the Constitution of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, which states: “No Monies shall be withdrawn from the Consolidated Fund except:
a. to meet the expenditure that is charged upon the Fund by this Constitution or by any Act of Parliament, or
b. where the issue of those monies has been authorized by an Appropriation Act, or
c. where the issue of those monies has been authorized under Article 21.”
He further argued that the Fiscal Management and Accountability Act Cap 73:02; at Section 43, states that at the end of each fiscal year, any unexpended balance of public monies issued out of the Consolidated Fund shall be returned and surrendered to the Consolidated Fund.
The politician said that signing of these contracts is “flagrant violation” of the Laws of Guyana.
“We found that several contracts were signed in 2020, including the largest of those being for the sum of Eight hundred and twenty-seven million Guyana dollars, (GYD 827M), which was signed with BK International for the construction of a secondary school at Yarrowkabra,” the politician said.
“Assuming the legal requirement for the return of all unexpended monies to the Consolidated Fund at the end of the fiscal year 2019 was complied with and, therefore, a legal mechanism would have had to be utilized to make withdrawals in 2020. As far as I am aware, no such legal mechanism exists that allows for payment of monies for contracts awarded in 2020. It is against this backdrop that I would like to hereby request that the Guyana Police Force (GPF), immediately; launch an investigation into this matter,” Edghill wrote.
The letter was copied to the Auditor General, Deodat Sharma.
