Alliance for Change (AFC) Executive and Public Accounts Committee (PAC) member, David Patterson has brought into question the capacity of the Auditor General (AG) Deodat Sharma and his office to audit the spending of proceeds from Guyana’s oil and gas sector. Patterson, during an interview on “Politics 101”, with Dr David Hinds, labeled “hogwash”, President Dr Irfaan Ali’s assurance that the AG’s scrutiny will form part of the checks and balances mechanisms embedded to ensure that there is no abuse or misappropriation of oil monies.
“I heard Irfaan say, and people parroting that the Auditor General will be able to scrutinise…But I can tell you that’s hogwash. The Auditor General’s reports come to the Public Accounts Committee, and here is the challenge we face: one, the capacity of the Auditor General; [two] the impartiality of the Auditor General; and [three] we just finished, about two weeks ago, 2016’s report. So, therefore, the monies spending next year in 2022 will not reach the Public Accounts Committee until something like 2026,” he said.
This, added, will have implications in holding persons accountable. “The statute of limitations is there, you can’t carry anybody to courts for contracts that would have been completed three years ago,” Patterson said. The PAC, however, exercises powers in keeping with the Legislative Bodies (Evidence) Act, Chapter 1:08 which allows for the summoning of witnesses to give evidence and or provide documents to the Committee. It also provides for a person who refuses or neglects to attend without sufficient cause to be apprehended and held in custody for a period not exceeding one week.
Patterson’s comments come on the heels of the passage of the Natural Resources Fund (NRF) and the resulting chaos that ignited in the National Assembly two days ago, during which, the ceremonial mace was removed by some opposition Members of Parliament in a bid to halt the sitting. The incident has sparked criticism from some sections of the society, with House Speaker, Manzoor Nadir, promising swift far-reaching consequences.
Controversy now surrounds the bill’s passage, with the Opposition claiming, “no mace, no business”, but a miniature replica was used, the Speaker clarified. However, Opposition Leader, Joseph Harmon is adamant that the “replica” has no significance.
