Wildlife trading scam uncovered
- GM sent on leave
Guyana Chronicle
June 19, 2004
FOLLOWING the discovery of irregularities at the Wildlife Management Authorities (WMA) pertaining to unauthorized trading in local wildlife the general manager has been sent on leave to facilitate a full investigation by the Board of the WMA.
This was disclosed by the Head of the Presidential Secretariat (HPS), Dr. Roger Luncheon, at his weekly press briefing yesterday.
"It would seem that, without the necessary inputs from the Board, the general manager authorized exports that are being questioned."
Asked about the volume of the irregularities, Dr. Luncheon replied that this cannot be determined at this stage as wildlife exports carry a 20% levy. However, Dr. Luncheon pointed out that revenue loss is not the only concern, in that compliance with the convention on wildlife export is important because if that is violated it would negatively impact on Guyana's wildlife trade.
"We are looking at costing narrowly, that might not have been paid over on the basis of what was exported, whether regularly or irregularly, and then also for abuses to have been repeated and profound and what are its consequences to the state's access to trade in wildlife," Dr. Luncheon stressed.