Forestry rocked by bribery scandal… Three GFC staffers fired, arrested by police

Forestry rocked by bribery scandal…
Three GFC staffers fired, arrested by police
Kaieteur News, 8 November 2007

Three staffers of the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC) were reportedly
fired and arrested by police yesterday in a widening investigation into
wrongdoings in the forestry sector.

The arrests are linked to possible bribery of the staffers by a large
logging company and investigators would have been hoping for names to
be called.

Kaieteur News understands that government has been apprised of the
situation and that the logging company was taking logs from an area
outside of its concession without permission.

Three GFC staffers were sent into the area several days ago after the
body received reports of the activities. However, the staffers returned
and reported that no such activities were taking place. Another set of
staffers were dispatched to the area, and they confirmed that illegal
logging was indeed taking place there.

Yesterday, Kaieteur News was told that GFC was on the verge on firing
the three staffers, but matters took a turn and the police arrested the
employees for allegedly taking bribes.

It was also disclosed that the illegal activities took place just a few
days after government slammed Barama Company Ltd, one of Guyana 's
largest logging companies, with a whopping fine for illegal activities.

The disclosures have continued to rock an industry increasingly under
the microscope both locally and internationally. It also comes swiftly
on the heels of recent actions by the regulatory body in which an
Assistant Commissioner was sent home and another staffer suspended for
allegedly manipulating procedures.

In September, GFC launched an unprecedented major probe into a number
of anomalies it found while perusing records.

Going back three months, the body examined records of Barama Company
Ltd, A. Mazaharally & Sons, N. Sukul & Sons, and Barakat Timbers
Limited.

Last month, GFC found Barama guilty and fined them $96.4 million for
breaching regulations. The body also ordered an immediate suspension of
all sub-contractual arrangements that Barama had with A. Mazaharally,
N. Sukul and Barakat Timbers.

The spotlight has been on forestry, and in light of recent
developments, the government of Guyana has come under increasing
pressure to clean up an industry which is said to be rife with
irregular practices -- netting businesses huge sums of money without
this country receiving its fair share of royalties.

With Guyana willing to commit its forests for preservation, given
increasing attention to climate change, the government has been meeting
with stakeholders -- miners, sawmillers, loggers and others -- to
inform them of tough monitoring measures geared to protect the forests.