Previous govt officials abused GuyOil’s fuel

Last Updated on Wednesday, 24 June 2015, 17:34 by GxMedia

Minister of the Presidency, Joseph Harmon, says government officials under the Peoples Progressive Party Civic (PPPC) government have been drawing fuel from The Guyana Oil Company Limited (GUYOIL) at the expense of taxpayers and using their position in government to influence the awarding of contracts.

During a post-Cabinet briefing this morning Harmon said “…we are investigating it and I do have in my possession some evidence that government personnel in the previous administration…that they were abusing that facility and we have asked to present us with all of these accounts…”

The Minister is adamant that “those persons who were drawing fuel and not paying for it gon gah fuh pay for it.”

Harmon told reporters that the behavior of the culpable individuals “falls into a pattern of abuse, serious abuse by the previous administration.”

“If you carry your family and your friends and everybody…that is our money, that is the people’s money. GUYOIL is not a private entity,” the Presidency Minister asserted.

He further said that “GUYOIL religiously sends to all of the ministries their accounts at the end of the month saying these vehicles have been drawing down so much…we need you to pay.”

He says that the relevant minister will be advised on how the matter should be approached, and hinted that there will be “a central clearing house for these when they come to the ministry.”

The minister also suggested that GUYOIL’s board will also come in for scrutiny, and that there may be changes at the end of this scrutiny.

“GUYOIL, like any of the other Boards will be dealt with. We’re reviewing the Boards at the end of this week and the process of setting up new boards and having reasons identified for these boards will take place.”

Harmon also disclosed that some government officials, during the final months before Elections 2015, used their positions in government to award themselves contracts.

“During the course of next week I will release some other information about some of the officials who have actually been abusing their position in the state to have contracts awarded to them personally in the last months of the previous administration,” he said.