The APNU+AFC coalition government’s tenure from 2015 to 2020 was marred by numerous corruption scandals that significantly impacted Guyana’s governance and public trust. Here are some of the most notable cases:

D’Urban Park Project

The D’Urban Park project, initially intended to host Guyana’s 50th anniversary celebrations in 2016, became a symbol of financial mismanagement and lack of transparency:

• Over $1.3 billion was spent on the project, which primarily consisted of a parade ground with wooden stands.
• The Audit Office of Guyana launched a probe into suspected financial irregularities.
• Payment vouchers totaling $107.119 million were not produced for audit examination.
• There was no evidence of checks on works for which Homestretch Development Inc (HDI), a private company linked to APNU+AFC’s Larry London, was given half a billion dollars.

Sussex Street Drug Bond

The rental of a bond on Sussex Street for pharmaceutical storage became another controversial issue:

• The government single-sourced a makeshift pharmaceutical bond without public tendering.
• The monthly rent was set at $12.5 million, plus $2 million in VAT, totaling about $200 million per year.
• The deal was criticized for being overpriced and unnecessary, given that the government already owned an international standard warehouse in Diamond that was underutilized.

Health Sector Procurement Fraud

Corruption in the health sector was particularly egregious:

• The Ministry of Health was implicated in the purchase of $600 million worth of drugs without going to tender.
• Contracts were awarded to unqualified companies in the Ministry of Public Health.
• There were instances of mismanagement of funds allocated for school feeding programs.

Other Notable Scandals

• The APNU+AFC government was accused of squandering billions on failed projects riddled with corruption.
• Land giveaways and dubious transactions involving state lands were reported.
• Ministers were alleged to have diverted government businesses to their private companies or collected valuable gifts.

Impact and Aftermath

The extent of corruption under the APNU+AFC government was so severe that Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo described it as “the most venal, corrupt government that we’ve ever had in our history.” The PPP/C government claims to have documented about 74 scandals involving former government ministers or senior officials during their tenure from 2015 to 2020.

These corruption scandals not only eroded public trust but also had significant financial implications for Guyana. The lack of transparency and accountability in these projects and procurement processes highlighted the need for stronger oversight mechanisms and anti-corruption measures in government operations.