General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), Dr Bharrat Jagdeo said on Thursday that public servants who are on the We Invest in Nationhood’s (WIN) List of Candidates, will be paid in cash of their accounts were closed by banks in recent weeks.
Guyana Standard had reported that three commercial banks have cut ties with several individuals who appeared on WIN’s List of Candidates, citing United States sanctions on the party’s presidential candidate Azruddin Mohamed as the reason for their actions.
At his press conference held on Thursday at Freedom House, Jagdeo was asked how the government plans to pay public servants who are WIN candidates.
In response, Jagdeo said he was unaware of the number of public servants or government employees who are candidates for WIN, as no such check has been done. However, he acknowledged that the government would have to find a way to pay them if their bank accounts were closed. “If they are working for government and they were getting paid through the bank, then that would be a different issue. I don’t know, they would have to probably collect their money in cash,” Jagdeo said.
Jagdeo also noted that a number of persons have contacted him, distressed about the closure of their accounts. He said he advised them to publicly distance themselves from WIN. “So, I would advise them if they’re listening to do that. Publicly declare that and maybe if they do that then maybe the banks might reconsider,” he added.
Moreover, he was asked how government pays Mae Thomas, the former Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Labour, given that her bank account was closed. Thomas was sanctioned alongside Azruddin Mohamed, his father Nazar Mohamed and their businesses.
As it relates to Thomas, Jagdeo noted that her accounts were closed one week after the sanctions were announced. Further, he said he is unsure how or whether Thomas was still being paid.
