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In a scathing public address on March 4, 2023, Vice-President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo publicly challenged Transparency International Guyana (TIGI) over its silence regarding an extensive series of corruption scandals tied to the APNU‐AFC coalition’s governance between 2015 and 2020. He revealed that there were 75 documented corruption scandals, spanning nearly every sector of government, from their first week in office until their departure from power (Guyana Chronicle, 2023).
Dr Jagdeo stressed that these scandals were not mere allegations, but were backed by evidence uncovered in numerous forensic audits and official reviews conducted during and after the APNU‐AFC’s term. Despite the severity and breadth of the corruption, organizations such as TIGI failed to publicly comment or investigate these incidents, a silence Dr Jagdeo argued amounted to selective advocacy (Guyana Chronicle, 2023).
A prime example was the notorious D’Urban Park project, where Homestretch Development Inc. received payments totaling GYD 1.150 billion by the end of 2017. Investigators found GYD 70.61 million in missing payment vouchers and identified over GYD 600 million in expenditures that lacked proper documentation, raising serious questions about financial impropriety within the project (Guyana Chronicle, 2023).
Another high-profile case highlighted was the controversial parking meter contract under the Georgetown City Council. The contract, negotiated with limited transparency, resulted in meters being installed before a full legal and public review could occur. Public protests and a court challenge later forced a halt to the program, but not before significant sums were committed and left unrecovered, with rusting meters still dotting the capital’s streets as a symbol of mismanagement (Guyana Chronicle, 2023).
Dr Jagdeo argued these scandals—and dozens more involving procurement, vehicle sales, fuel contracts, and other public resources—demonstrated a systematic erosion of good governance during the APNU‐AFC administration. He warned that unless such patterns are publicly acknowledged and addressed, they threaten to undermine Guyana’s long-term progress (Guyana Chronicle, 2023).
In closing, he called on TIGI and all accountability bodies to fulfill their mandates impartially by investigating and exposing corruption wherever it occurs—not just when politically convenient (Guyana Chronicle, 2023).
The Guyana Project is an independent media platform delivering fact-checked, ground-level reporting on politics, economy, and public life in Guyana. With a focus on transparency and development, we bring unfiltered news and thoughtful analysis to help shape a more informed, forward-looking nation.
Systematic Corruption Under the APNU‐AFC Administration: 75 Documented Scandals
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