The Coalition was elected in 2015 to hold the outgoing PPP accountable for its share of criminal corruption, clean up the mess (drain the swamp), put in place mechanisms to prevent corruption, and govern for Guyanese who voted for it or against it.
First mistake it made was the dumbass decision, mere weeks into governing, to give itself a raise with the hope it prevents its officials from engaging in corruption. That was actually a concession that its officials were susceptible to corruption.
I can list the other reports of corruption, but it is this first pay raise misstep that exposed the Coalition as having a self-serving agenda.
Mr. Patterson reportedly, and with seemingly profane words, denied to Demerarawaves he ever received any of the two pieces of gold items listed above. So, a thorough investigation is necessary. Let the chips fall where they may.
But lest the pro-PPP bloggers forget, this $504,000GY or $2520US pales in comparison to the multimillion dollar scams during the Jagdeo-era. A man was reportedly taken into Jagdeo's office where a $15mUS contract was signed to build an access road to the Amalia Hydro plant. The man had no prior road building experience, so he never delivered. The Ramotar regime had to spend an additional $40mUS to complete the road. THINK ABOUT THAT!
Then there were instances where a pharmaceutical company received hundreds of millions of dollars from the PPP government to supply pharmaceutical and other health products. The company sometimes went out and bought products with six months to 1 year shelf life left. Obnoxious. But that was how 'certain people' got filthy rich off the government. So when folks talk about the illegality of spending $504,000GY, they need to step back and see where this pattern of hustling the public purse existed under past PPP government.
BTW, the very swamp creatures that operated during the Jagdeo presidency are back in government 😳 🙄! The more things change...