Minister Jordan stands by drug proceeds statement but provides no evidence

Finance Minister, Winston Jordan Wednesday maintained his statements in response to a newspaper Editorial in which he suggested that Guyana’s economy had previously benefited from drug proceeds.

The Minister’s insistence comes on the heels of the Private Sector Commission (PSC) calling on him to engage them in a meeting where they can seek clarity on his statement.

Mr Jordan had claimed that the economy, pre-May 2015, was heavily based on proceeds of the drug trade and that the current economy, post-May 2015, is no longer affected by such proceeds.

The pre-May 2015 period that Mr Jordan refers to include the period where the country was governed by the People’s Progressive Party, who were subsequently voted out of office at the general elections in May 2015.

At a press conference held in Parliament Buildings on Wednesday, the Finance Minister said the economy today is proof that it was, in fact, being run by drug proceeds.

“I’m doing budget and all sorts of things and I don’t have time to waste essentially,” the Finance Minister said when asked to provide evidence of the drug proceeds.

He acknowledged that he received a letter from Chairman of the PSC, Deodat Indar but said he was amazed when he read that the PSC was asking him to explain his statements.

He insisted that there are some persons in the private sector who benefited from nefarious activities under the previous Government.

“Who the cap fit let them wear it,” the Finance Minister said.

He questioned why he was being asked to explain his statement when prior there were local studies done which reported on these activities.

According to Minister Jordan, there was also a prominent member of the People’s Progressive Party that had made similar statements which were reported in the local media. He did not name that PPP member.

Opposition Leader and former President Bharrat Jagdeo had also called Jordan out on his drug proceeds statement.

Jagdeo had commended the PSC for asking for the evidence and said it was just another excuse for Government’s poor performance