“They want me to look bad,” Ramayya fires back at Nagamootoo; claims corruption in Region six offices

By MalisaPlayter Harry

In response to the Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo, Dr Veerasammy Ramayya, who recently resigned from the Alliance For Change (AFC), is maintaining that he is an ethical person.

Ramayya said “I want the people to know I am an ethical person, these are the people that Guyanese were looking up to and they shouldn’t anymore”.

According to Ramayya the AFC never approved of the coalition, “Moses had nowhere to go in the PPP, his exit out from the PPP was just before nomination day of 2011 elections, I am not afraid, this was his only chance to exit politics as somebody to be reckoned with, the AFC was the only chance for him”.

Ramayya expressed the view that, “they want me to look bad, Moses and Khemraj both of you failed the people of this country as politicians.”

Ramayya also made some damning allegations against the New Amsterdam Hospital and The Regional Democratic Council. He reiterated his call for the tender board to be removed and new persons installed.

This, he claimed was relayed to the Prime Minister along with other ministers. “The hospital give out contracts to people without my knowledge, only when payments have to be made then they come to me with vouchers to sign payments”.

He disclosed that a consultancy fee was paid to an individual in Georgetown, who claimed that the hospital has to be rewired, however, an engineer, who was sent to investigate, discovered that wiring was not necessary.

According to Ramayya many tenders went through without quotations, noting that three quotations are required in order to approve anything but this was not done. “I have never seen corruption to this extent in such a short period of time”.

Meanwhile, Region six director of health, Jevaughn Setphens has debunked corruption claims made by Ramayya. Stephens, during an interview with News Room fired back stating, “show me the corruption, where is the evidence.”

He noted that “as it relates to spending in the health services, nothing can be spent if it wasn’t budgeted for.”

The health director claimed that reports were made to Ramayya that stock of vouchers was not signed resulting in the psychiatric hospital not receiving the supplies on time. He said assurance was given by Ramayya that the vouchers would be signed, but this did not happen.

He explained the voucher process “it goes through a process, to the accounts department here, through the DREO Mr. Poonai, then to the accounts department to Mr. Beharry and ends at the tender board”, which he highlighted, was headed by Dr. Ramayya.

Stephens reiterated,” if there is any corruption anywhere then it is from Ramayya”.

When told that he is being deemed as unfit for the position by the former AFC Executive, Stephens responded, “let my work be the judge of that”.