By Antonio Dey | HGP Nightly News
Chartered Accountant and Attorney-at-Law Christopher Ram has announced his intention to escalate legal action against government officials over their persistent non-compliance with the Access to Information Act of 2011. Ram emphasized that Guyanese civil society will no longer tolerate repeated violations of the Act, which was enacted to promote transparency, accountability, and public access to government-held data.
“This phase of our protest and our picketing ends today, but we are not finished. We will now escalate—we will take this issue to the Office of the President if we must, we will take it to the courts, and we will not stop there,” Ram stated at a recent demonstration.
Ram has initiated legal proceedings against Minister of Natural Resources Vickram Bharrat and Commissioner of Information Charles Ramson Sr. for their failure to respond to formal requests for documents under the Access to Information Act.
Filed in December 2021, Ram’s requests sought:
- The January 2020 Clyde & Co. report
- The June 29, 2016 escrow letter
- Records of public payments to Clyde & Co.
- Information on escrow-related expenditures
Despite the national significance of the documents, no responses have been received more than three years after the initial request.
“The information requested relates to the expenditure of public funds, and that requires great urgency and is of national significance,” Ram said in a missive on Wednesday. “Continued failure to comply is not only a statutory breach of the Act but also an affront to the transparency obligations this Act was enacted to uphold.”
A pre-action notice has been served, giving the relevant authorities 14 days to respond. Should they fail to comply, Ram intends to file for:
- Declarations of statutory breaches
- Mandatory court orders for disclosure
- Personal legal consequences for officials who refuse to fulfill their obligations
Ram has also criticized the Office of the Commissioner of Information as being non-functional, stating:
“The Commissioner has never provided a single substantive answer—not one—and he has never once acknowledged that he is answerable to the people of Guyana.”
Importance of Transparency in Oil Agreements
Ram underscored that the requested documents pertain to oil agreements signed by the former administration, which involve substantial public funds and Guyana’s most valuable national resources.
The Access to Information Act of 2011 was designed to give the public the right to access government-held information and to foster civic engagement and informed decision-making. However, civil society members argue that its intent is being eroded by political noncompliance.
