President Bharrat Jagdeo has directed that an investigation be done into why the police are yet to charge anyone in connection with the theft of five Guyana Power and Light (GPL) transformers late last year.
Speaking at a press conference yesterday, the President said he has asked for a full investigation as “…to why the police have not moved on it [the stealing of the transformers] as yet.”
The transformers have since been recovered and while it was expected that persons would have appeared before the court, a senior police officer said late last week that no one had been charged as yet because the investigation had gotten a “bit wider.
We are doing some more investigation and more than three persons will be charged. We just have to do some more investigation.”
Managing Director of GPL Bharrat Dindyal had told Stabroek News two Fridays ago that the police had informed him that several persons would have faced the court some time during last week.
Five transformers were stolen from the company’s Sophia location some time after October last year. One of them was discovered installed at the recently opened Regent Multiplex Mall at the corner of Regent and Wellington streets.
The theft began to be revealed when a Campbell-ville businessman took three small transformers to GPL for them to be tested and it was discovered that these were the property of the company. These transformers had been sprayed over in an attempt to hide their place of origin.
A check by company officials subsequently revealed that two heavy-duty transformers, valued US$30,000 each, were also missing and information later led to the discovery of one of them at the recently opened Regent Multiplex Mall earlier this month. Several persons, including owner of the mall Ganesh Ramlall, were held in connection with the find but they were later released.
Two Saturdays ago the fifth transformer was found dumped on Cane View Avenue, South Ruimveldt.
Dindyal had said that except for the missing name plate there seemed to be nothing wrong with the transformer.
He had said too that he felt that because the police were closing in on those who had possession of the device they decided to dump it.
Dindyal had earlier explained that the transformers were among those the company had on standby to assist in the operation of the pumps during flooding because in the 2005 Great Flood transformers were needed and the company had none available at the time.
Dindyal said the transformers were part of a “contingency plan” and he said he hoped whatever action was taken by the police would send a strong message to those involved in the theft or selling and buying of stolen transformers.
Observers have questioned why the businessman who took the three transformers to be tested in December was not charged with receiving stolen property. So far, no one has been charged in that case.
Dindyal had told Stabroek News that the police were called in as soon as GPL realised those transformers belonged to the company. He could not say why no one was charged and police yesterday said that the wider investigation included those three stolen transformers as well.
Questions have also been asked about the quality of security and the systems in place at GPL.
