Hundreds of transactions that were conducted by the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL), within in the last five years of the Coalition administration, are being reviewed. This was according to the Minister of Legal Affairs and Attorney General Anil Nandlall.
During an interview with the National Communications Network (NCN) today, the Minister said that while the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) was in opposition, it highlighted many alleged corrupt activities at NICIL, and other agencies.
On the review of NICIL’s operations, the Minister said: “There are hundreds of transactions there that will really, really shock the conscious of this nation when they would be revealed. There are a whole host that will come up at Lands and Surveys [Commission]. You will see.”
He went on to say that the government will do all it can to ensure that the rule of law is maintained.
“We will ensure, as far as possible, that where there are violations of the law, those violations will have to be addressed. The investigative arm of the State and the prosecutorial arm of the State will be activated. And the law will have to take its course. That is our responsibility as a government. That is the promise we made to the people of Guyana, and we are not going to shortfall on these promises,” he said.
Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo told the nation weeks ago that during the five years the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) coalition was in Government, there was never any audit conducted into the operations of NICIL, the Government’s privatisation arm.
During his budget presentation earlier this month, the VP spoke about a number of probes being conducted with respect to fuel smuggling, bribery allegations and illegal transferal of state property. The former Head of State said that senior officials of the former administration are “neck-deep” in these allegations.
The Opposition Leader, Joseph Harmon has since rubbished these allegations; saying that the government is trying to strike fear into the former administration. He told the National Assembly during the Budget Debates that the Coalition will not be ‘affected’ by these probes.
He then posited that the PPP/C administration should focus on governing, and not investigating.
