The police are not disclosing more details about the case of the missing $3.4M from their Eve Leary Finance Office.
Crime Chief Seelall Persaud told Stabroek News yesterday afternoon that “the three ranks” who were hauled in for questioning following the discovery are still in custody. He would only say that investigations are ongoing and at this point information regarding the case could not be made public.
“Information can’t be made public at this point because it is likely to affect the investigation,” the Crime Chief said.
It also remains unclear whether the three ranks in custody will be charged. These ranks, police had reported, were responsible for the monies and Finance Office keys.
Meanwhile, this newspaper has been reliably informed that a series of meetings were conducted throughout yesterday to discuss this matter. These meetings were attended by a number of senior police officers.
It was reported in a press statement on Tuesday evening that the money had been in a canister, secured in a locked cashier cage.
The release said “investigations are being conducted into the larceny of $3.4 million from the Police Finance Office, Police Headquarters, Eve Leary, which was discovered at about 0900h today ” Tuesday. According to the release, “there were no signs of any breakage to the Office”.
The money, police PRO Ivelaw Whittaker has said, was discovered missing when a check was made on Tuesday morning for the enveloped cash left in the canister.
Stabroek News was reliably informed that the Finance Office operates from 7.30 am to 4.30 pm. The discovery, therefore, would’ve been made one and half hour after the office commenced operations on Tuesday.
After operations cease at 4.30 pm, a source explained, various security procedures are followed and the office is secured.
The Finance Office is located on the northern side of the compound (Rabbit Walk), a short distance from Commissioner of Police Henry Greene’s office.
It is one of the most secure areas in the compound; ranks are assigned to guard and patrol the location day and night.
A reliable police source had also told Stabroek News on Tuesday evening that a fourth rank, who is a senior officer, was pulled in for questioning after the discovery was made. However, police are insisting that only three ranks were taken into custody.
This incident is the latest in a series of crimes that have ensnared the police force. Questions have since surfaced about the police’s ability to investigate this $3.4M larceny.
“It is clear that this crime was committed by members of the force,” a police source stated yesterday, “and the question of whether fellow police should be given the task of carrying out this investigation is foremost on many minds.”
Cash held at the Finance Office comes mainly from bail collected at the various Police Stations, the source had said.
The money on hand is used, among other things, to pay travel and meal allowances for senior officers.
Sometime during last November, according to the source, an instruction, reinforcing an earlier order, was received that more than $25,000 worth of bail money could not be kept at a Police Station at any given time. This instruction would’ve increased the amount of cash normally on hand at the Finance Office.
