At least two persons who are wanted by the police for questioning in relation to a multi-million dollar fraud at the Accountant General’s Depart-ment of the Ministry of Finance are expected to turn themselves in today but their relatives yesterday express-ed puzzlement over the probe.
Last Friday the police issued bulletins for ten persons who Stabroek News was reliably informed 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.
Among those wanted by the police are Joy Beverley-Ann Noel, a 47-year old woman of ‘ZZ’ D’urban Street, Wortmanville, Georgetown and Lawrence Dundas, a supervisor whose last address was provided as Lot 25 David Street, Kitty, also in the city.
A daughter of Noel told this newspaper from her mother’s home in D’urban Street that the woman had been informed via the newspapers that she was wanted by the police and she noted that her mother had noting to hide. She said that Noel last worked as a cleaner at the Police Commissioner’s office at Eve Leary and as such the family was surprised that the lawmen would issue a wanted bulletin for her mother since “they know where to find her”.
She said that her mother was not a businesswoman as was listed in the bulletin, noting that her mother had “nothing much to do”. Nevertheless, the woman said that her mother will visit police headquarters today accompanied by her lawyer to clear her name, adding that, “my mother don’t know anything about no fraud …is somebody trying to frame her”.
Relatives of Lawrence Dundas told Stabroek News yesterday that the man was expected to visit the police headquarters today also to clear his name. They said that the man did not live at the address listed in the wanted bulletin “for years”, but according to them he lived in another section of the city.
Those being sought by the police are said to be persons who worked at the Accountant General’s department as well as members of the public who were allegedly part of a scheme to defraud the government coffers of monies owned to pensioners.
The other persons who are wanted by the police are, Shamshon Mohamed, 60, a security guard of Field 8, Sophia; Cornel Edward Watson, 29, whose last address was given as 400 West Ruimveldt, Georgetown; Mona Faye Barnes, a 43-year old housekeeper of Middle Street, Buxton, East Coast Demerara (ECD); Colleen Wendella Easton, age 56 of Lot 21, Ogle Front, ECD; June Nicholson, a supervisor of Lot 7, NARI Compound, Mon Repos, ECD; Abiola Vanessa Roberts, 35, of Vigilance South, ECD;, Dianne Staglon, a 39- year old 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 unauthorized 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 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.
