The decision by the Guyana Post Office Corporation (GPOC) to retain the services of 14 employees - several of them at senior levels - even though they have admitted stealing monies intended for old age pensioners is puzzling and raises a lot of questions.

Last year’s theft of around $14M, and probably more, in an elaborate scam involving employees of the GPOC and the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security was a classic example of the betrayal of public trust and crude corruption.

Yet, without public announcement, until last week, several of these employees were allowed to resume work in May and to redeem themselves all they were required to do was to repay money that they confessed they had stolen. It is estimated that around $3M is being repaid by these persons.

While the 14 may have cooperated magnificently with the probe into the cashing of fake old age pension coupons, that in itself was no good reason for allowing them back on the job. It would have been reasonable for these persons to be promised immunity from prosecution if they made restitution and promised to testify against the masterminds of this fraud in addition to cooperating fully with the probe. However, they should not have been permitted to return to jobs at the GPOC.

Letting them back into the firmament of the GPOC sends the wrong signal. For an agency entrusted with handling a mostly cash-based postal system and which is also an intermediary for a host of financial transactions the unmistakable message that is being sent here is that if you are caught with your hand in the till all you need to do is tell us how you did it, repay the sum and perhaps lose an opportunity at promotion. That is certainly not the level of responsibility, probity or accountability one expects from post office employees.

Further, there is no guarantee that these employees won’t be tempted in the different positions they now hold to engage in other corrupt transactions.

There will also be an air of tension and suspicion at the post office because of the perceived roles that these persons played in the scam and no doubt they will be under closer scrutiny by the internal auditors of the corporation. It cannot be a very conducive atmosphere for the business at hand.

The situation is further compounded by the snail’s pace of the police’s examination of this case which began since last year. Not a soul has been charged with anything even though $14M was stolen from the state and many people were involved. Moreover, 13 employees of the GPOC were sacked along with three senior employees of the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security because their employers accepted that there was malfeasance. What is taking the police so long? Why is it so difficult to build a case against those who spun this corrupt web? If as the post office says the 14 persons retained cooperated fully with the GPOC probe why hasn’t the police force been able to elicit similar assistance in nailing down a case? Suppose the police were to eventually charge one of the 14 persons retained by the GPOC wouldn’t the GPOC have to interdict that person from duty?

The state and state agencies cannot afford to convey the image of ambivalence towards acts like the outrageous theft of pensions money.

It was only last week it came to be known that some employees severed from Linmine went on a looting spree. A significant amount of office equipment and other items was stolen in a sort of reverse golden handshake. The unbridled thievery included parts for a fire tender. That is not the kind of disrespect for the state’s property that can be tolerated and there must be steely resolve on the part of the authorities to make clear that corrupt acts - always more tempting in times of depressed economic circumstances - will not be condoned. The web of greed spun between the post office and the Social Security ministry is the perfect place to start holding people accountable for corrupt acts.