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Kaieteur News
Friday October 11, 2013
THE HEIST OF GUYANA CONTINUES...
THE TALE OF BHARRAT JAGDEO AND HIS BEST FRIEND BOBBY RAMROOP Did You Know that 6.
Bharrat Jagdeo
NICIL headed by Winston Brassington advertised for “Expressions of Interest” to sell a small part of the Sanata Complex? After no offers were received, Bobby Ramroop was secretly approached and a deal was struck for the entire complex. Significantly, Guyana was kept in the dark as the new arrangement was never re-advertised, an illegality in itself. Guyana later woke up to the fact that this state asset was placed in the hands of Ramroop.
Dr. Bobby Ramroop
1.
Bharrat Jagdeo was sworn in as President in August 1999. Two months later, the sale of 60 percent of the Guyana Pharmaceutical Corporation (GPC) was approved for his best friend Dr. Ranjisinghi 'Bobby' Ramroop for $458M? Ramroop later purchased 30 percent more at a reduced price of $200M; it was originally set at $238M?
2.
Cabinet, headed by Jagdeo, approved a waiver of Procurement Procedures, directing the Ministry of Health to purchase drugs directly from New GPC now owned by his best friend, Dr. Ranjisinghi ‘Bobby’ Ramroop, without any competitive bidding?
3.
Between 2005 and 2012, New GPC was handed contracts from the Ministry of Health totaling Billions of dollars, all of which were flagged by the Auditor General? During that time too, New GPC was handed separate contracts from the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), again totaling billions all of which were flagged by the Auditor General? Many of these contracts saw Dr. Ranjisinghi ‘Bobby’ Ramroop being advanced hundreds of millions of dollars before he was required to deliver any of the drugs and medical supplies?
4.
It was by accident that the nation discovered that New GPC headed by Dr. Ranjisinghi ‘Bobby’ Ramroop sold to the Ministry of Health a tube of Ketoconazole cream for $1900, when this very cream was retailing in the pharmacies for $140? This discovery which was made recently also found that other drugs for the Ministry of Health were similarly heftily overpriced? Immediately after that exposure all records belonging to the Ministry of Health and to the Georgetown Public Hospital were under lock and keys? One can only imagine what took place from 1999 when Dr. Ranjisinghi ‘Bobby’ Ramroop bought New GPC, and soon after, given the sole rights to import and sell the hog of the pharmaceuticals to the government?
5.
In November 2007 Govt. commissioned a new drug warehouse boasting state-of-the art systems? • That warehouse is in New GPC Compound at Farm, East Bank Demerara? When the Health Ministry commissioned a warehouse in Diamond this year, the previous one was left intact for New GPC? • Prior to the Diamond Bond, the Ministry paid Ramroop’s New GPC $18M yearly to store its drugs?