The police have issued bulletins for ten persons who are wanted for questioning in relation to a fraud committed at a government department.
Stabroek News was reliably informed that the 10 are being sought in connection with a multi-million dollar fraud which was committed within the past several months at the Accountant General’s Department of the Ministry of Finance.
The wanted persons are said to be persons who worked at the department as well as members of the public who were part of a scheme to defraud the government coffers of monies owned to pensioners.
Those wanted are Shamshon Mohamed, 60, a security guard of Field 8, Sophia; Cornel Edward Watson, 29, whose last address was given as of 400 West Ruimveldt, Georgetown; Lawrence Dundas, a supervisor whose last address was provided as Lot 25 David Street, Kitty, Georgetown; Mona F
aye Barnes, a 43-year oldhousekeeper of Middle Street, Buxton, East Coast Demerara
(ECD); Colleen WendellaEaston, age 56 of Lot 21, Ogle Front, ECD; Joy Beverley-Ann Noel, a 47-year old businesswoman of ‘ZZ’ Durban Street, Wortmanville, Georgetown; June Nicholson, a supervisor of Lot 7, NARI Compound, Mon Repos, ECD; Abiola Vanessa Roberts, 35, of Vigilance South, ECD;, Dianne Staglom, 39, and a cosmetologist of Lot 1, Vlissengen Road, Georgetown; and Nigel Anthony Adams, a 38-year old supervisor of Airstrip Road, Area ‘C’, Ogle Front, ECD.
Early last month, Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh had invited the Office of the Auditor General and the police to investigate suspected unauthorised and irregular transactions within the Accountant General’s Department.
The investigations, which are being spearheaded by the Audit Office and the police, are focused on improprieties committed over a period of time within the agency involving sums of monies left unclaimed by government pensioners.
The total figure at the centre of the probe is unclear but has amounted to millions a source within the Audit Office noted recently.
The fraudulent transactions were detected following internal checks by senior supervisory staff from the Finance Ministry, who, according to Singh, conducted “relevant intelligence gathering activities.”
In a letter addressed to the Auditor General issued early last month, Singh informed Auditor General, Deodat Sharma of the irregularities in the Accountant General’s Department.
He stated that initial reviews found that payments of superannuation benefits to officials were irregular and “designed to avoid standard financial and accounting procedures.” Singh also stated that the Auditor General would have been provided with “all the necessary cooperation and support” for the investigation.
The Accountant General’s Department, among other things, checks financial statements of all government ministries, agencies and departments and transmits these to the Office of the Auditor General for auditing.
According to the police anyone with information that may lead to the arrest of the persons listed is asked to contact the police on telephone numbers: 226-1326,
226-0192, 225-8196, 225-2722, 225-6411, 911 or the nearest police station.
All information will be treated with strict confidence.
