By Leonard GildarieThe story is the same all over the world. The rich and powerful are given a slap on the wrist while the poor pay the price for society.Sounds familiar? How many cases do we know in Guyana where the rich and powerful break the law withLeonard Gildarieimpunity and use the system to walk away smiling? How many white collar criminals do we know who have stolen millions but escape scot-free because the game has been fixed?We all love a good rags-to-riches story. Perhaps one of the greatest novels I ever read was Kane and Abel by Jeffrey Archer. It tells the story of two men who fought to destroy each other because of a perceived wrong. One came from wealth while the other rose from poverty to become a powerful hotel owner. The latter’s success came from hard work and shrewd dealings.A must read for lovers of a good rags-to-riches story.I could not help but think of Kane and Abel this past week as I read how our prisons are overflowing with persons who have been caught with a few grams of marijuana but because it is over the legal limit,Wholesale NFL Jerseys, are given an automatic jail sentence.Government is examining ways to reduce the overcrowding including law changes and bigger jails.This is a stupid,NFL Jerseys Supply, ineffective law that needs immediate amendments. It has placed a burden on our prison system that is costing taxpayers plenty.I know many persons who use marijuana, some for leisure, others for medicinal purposes. They are smart people who converse with you and discuss politics. Yet we continue to refuse to amend a law where our people can live their choice.We have cigarettes selling legally and alcohol that is available all over the country.The US has started a controlled dispensation of what is known as recreational marijuana. This means that you can pick it up legally in some states. There are licensed shops and even farms open to handle the demand.Back in July, in one of the US’ busiest places- Manhattan- I saw a crowd around vehicle in Times Square. Someone was selling marijuana sweets. Really? Times have changed.In Guyana, we have courts filled with regulars who have been caught with marijuana and chalk up a conviction and even jail time for a few grams.It goes further. We have a serious problem when it comes to fraud in this country. However, there are little successes in convictions compared to the number of charges laid.I know of one particular individual who successfully pulls off some of the country’s most barefaced scams. He is a master in selling properties already owned to unsuspecting victims.He has made millions of dollars and it appears that investigators are tired of his antics. He openly boasts of his antics.One of his favorites is opening a bar and taking credit from suppliers. He racks up a huge bill and then closes shop. He is in and out of lockups. The cases involve millions.Yet we have our jails overflowing with persons caught with small quantities of marijuana. There is what is called white collar crimes. In Guyana, corruption and fraud in public office have reportedly been rampant.We see many state employees,NFL Jerseys From China, some of them young engineers driving some of the latest models of vehicles and building homes that on a normal salary would be nigh impossible.The theft of hundreds of millions of dollars- let’s make that billions of dollars from our public bank accounts- without a major conviction is not something that can easily be swallowed from any right thinking Guyanese.We have scores of cases before the courts for frauds and other things that have been dragging,NFL Jerseys Supply, in some instances, for years.Ever so often,Wholesale China Jerseys, we have people coming in talking about how their ancestral lands have been stolen. The matters are engaging the attention of the court for years.We appointed two judges last year to help handle the backlog of cases at the Land Court. How well are we doing?We need strong legislations that tackle corruption in public offices.Where is the Guyana Revenue Authority in all this?We need the necessary mechanisms in place to ensure that crimes in office are not only investigated but brought to its conclusion…in the courts.That means we need to strengthen our capacity on the prosecution side. We need to continue offering more training to our investigators.I like to make comparisons to the US where the penalties for tax and fraud crimes rank as high as those for murder.Two major cases would come to mind to highlight the fact that US is serious about its monies- Wesley Snipes and Al Capone.Wesley Snipes is a popular Hollywood action star who owed the US government almost $7M in back taxes. He was jailed in late 2010 for three year