U.S, UK helping Guyana with anti-corruption, accountability efforts

[Press Release] – The U.S. Embassy Georgetown, in collaboration with the British High Commission, opened a three-day anti-corruption workshop today under the jointly funded U.S.-UK Criminal Justice Reform Project. The program brings together 25 investigators and prosecutors from Guyana’s leading investigative agencies and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions to strengthen skills for investigating, prosecuting, and preventing corruption.

During the March 23 – 25 workshop, participants will focus on financial investigations, case-building, and international best practices for managing complex corruption cases.  As the first Guyana-based initiative under the multi-year project, which also supports criminal justice partners across Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, the workshop advances the project’s broader objectives to modernize laws and practices, expand technical expertise, and reinforce effective interagency collaboration.

At the opening ceremony, U.S. Embassy Deputy Chief of Mission John Crippen highlighted the persistent threat corruption poses to good governance and encouraged participants to apply the skills and interagency relationships developed during the workshop to address complex cases collaboratively.

Liam McShane, Chargé d’Affaires at the British High Commission in Georgetown, welcomed the agencies’ enthusiastic participation, which he said reflects strong commitment to the “continued improvement and success” of Guyana’s criminal justice system.  He added that, “this commitment to justice and public service is essential to the strengthening of Guyana’s institutions, as well as to the confidence and trust that citizens place in them.”

Commissioner of the Guyana Police Force Clifton Hicken encouraged the participating officials to uphold accountability across the justice sector, uphold high character in their work, and apply the lessons of the training workshop.

The United States and United Kingdom both underscored that corruption fuels transnational organized crime, hinders development, and weakens public trust.  We look forward to strengthening cooperation with Guyana to improve accountability, criminal deterrence, and shared security.

The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs provided the U.S. funding under the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative, a U.S. security cooperation program with Guyana and 12 other Caribbean countries to degrade and dismantle transnational criminal organizations, curb illicit narcotics, and deepen regional security cooperation.