Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo on Friday rejected claims in the National Assembly by Opposition Member of Parliament Roysdale Forde that the People’s Progressive Party came to Government and unseated the APNU+AFC Coalition through fraudulent means.
Instead, Jagdeo has promised to carry out a number of investigations to confirm and reveal several fraudulent practices by the former Government, which he said occurred across state agencies and sectors.
“Over the course of the next year, there will be a number of investigations and the country will be shocked about the revelation of fraud to follow,” Jagdeo said.
Jagdeo said high among the list of fraud committed by the Coalition is the spending of some $419.2 billion without any Parliamentary approval or scrutiny between December 2018 when it fell on a No-Confidence Motion and August 2020 when the results of the general elections were finally declared.
“This was mostly squandered and whittled away…they had a great time in Government but that time is over and I can understand the sadness among them because the gravy train has come to an end,” Jagdeo said while making his budget presentation virtually.
Forde, in a fiery presentation to the National Assembly, cast doubt over the recently held general and regional elections and repeatedly accused the PPP Government of being illegitimate.
Jagdeo said already the PPP Government has found a lot of fraudulent transactions which include requests for brides.
The Vice President said too that the Government is still coming to terms with the fact that billions of dollars of revenue were stolen because of wide-scale fraud in the fuel sector and which involves high ranking officials of the former Government.
“The recent army internal audit points out $300 million of fraud has happened through GuyOil,” he added.
Jagdeo said there will be revelations of bid tampering, illegal approvals of contracts, criminal transfers of resources, and the giveaway of lands to cronies.
“Billions of dollars’ worth of lands where no monies were paid but properties vested in names of individuals…This is fraud and criminality to the highest extent,” Jagdeo told the House.
“M. Forde, therefore, knows a lot about the use of the word fraudulence but it is misdirected and should be used more in relation to the regime that just demitted office,” he added.
Jagdeo said officials of the former Government will be made to pay for all fraud uncovered.
How can this illegitimate Govt expose any fraud……Mingo ‘n Lolo did nothing wrong….Signed: R. Forde…SC. And therein lies the rub…….this is what Senior Counsel status has descended to? i want to hire him as my wifes divorce lawyer should she try and dump me. C’mon man retain some dignity and show your intelligence that we know you have.