Security cameras to watch Guyana customs officials
GEORGETOWN, Guyana (AP) — Authorities are installing security cameras at airports, piers and other locations where shipped goods are inspected to try to root out corruption among importers and customs officials.
The measure has met with resistance among many in the business community in the South American nation, where it is common to submit false declarations and bribe officials to avoid paying taxes or import duties, Revenue Authority Chief Kurshid Sattaur said Thursday.
Last year, dozens of officials faced more than 100 fraud and bribery charges over a $1.5-million shipment of Venezuelan beer. The case is still in court.
The Government has previously tried — unsuccessfully — to impose lie-detector tests on officials and analysed port workers’ bank accounts looking for signs of possible corruption.
