‘Don’t just shout corruption, have proof’ – Teixeira says anti-corruption framework working  

Minister of Governance and Parliamentary Affairs Gail Teixeira has dismissed shouts of corruption as just that, merely shouts.

During a press conference on Wednesday, Teixeira said without proof and evidence, claims of corruption are useless even as she defended the government’s anti-corruption framework as one that is working.

“Facts, facts, facts… get your facts lined up and go to [the relevant] bodies to bring your cases,” the minister said.

Teixeira explained that while her ministry is not involved with operational issues, it has been collaborating at the technical level to fight corruption and build a workable framework.

To justify that the work against corruption is bearing fruit, she pointed to the anti- corruption fact sheet published between 2020 and 2023, to demonstrate the work being done to strengthen and improve transparency and accountability.

“There are shouts of corruption but people must have evidence and have proof,” she said.

And when the evidence is available, the minister said it must be taken to the relevant bodies such as the Auditor General Office, the Public Procurement Commission, the Financial Intelligence Unit and other constitutional agencies.

Teixeira also advised on going to the police, reminding members of the media that while in opposition during 2015 and 2020, she did just that along with other opposition members including Juan Edghill, to expose corruption in the then APNU+AFC government.

“As a member of the opposition, I wrote the PPC…and documented what I found. I didn’t just say corruption.

“…I went to SOCU and the police and called for criminal investigation.

“You can’t shout from the rooftop to prove corruption…it is work,” the minister explained.

She said the same framework in place now was the one she used in the past to bring her findings to the fore and it worked.

Notwithstanding, she said the government is focused on developing a mechanism for collaboration between the ministry and other agencies dealing with governance and anti-corruption.

“Seventeen agencies are looking at anti-corruption metrologies and recommendations to strengthen the anti-corrupt framework,” Teixeira said.

She said it has become a norm for anti-corruption bodies to operate in silos and the time has come for collaboration.