Lawrence Dundas, 51, a supervisor in the Accountant General’s Department, was yesterday charged with embezzling $1.6M stolen from the pension fund of a retired teacher.
Dundas, who is one of 10 persons for whom police issued wanted bulletins last week, was remanded to prison by acting Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court. Police, meanwhile, yesterday put out wanted bulletins for two other persons fingered in the probe, plumber Sean Ron Gibson, 37, and technician Gary Emanuel Dundas, 44, both of Georgetown.
In court yesterday, the charge against Lawrence Dundas stated that between March 22, 2010 and October 8, 2010, being entrusted in the Public Service of Guyana as Supervisor and being entrusted by the virtue of his employer with receipt of mainly pension funds, belonging to retired teacher Mariam Agatha Patterson, he embezzled a cheque valued in an excess of $1.6M by fraudulently disposing of it for other use than public service, feloniously stealing from the State of Guyana.
Dundas, who has been working with the Government for 30 years, was employed at the Accountant General’s Department at the Ministry of Finance. According to Prosecutor Stephen Telford, he allegedly created false payment vouchers and gave persons not employed with the government signed cheques.
Telford asked that bail be refused because of the likelihood of additional charges to be instituted against the accused. The prosecutor also urged the court to view the circumstances of the matter concerning the individual, who was entrusted with duties and who conducted himself in an unprofessional manner.
Telford asked that the court send a signal to persons with a similar mentality.
Acting Chief Magistrate Sewnarine-Beharry refused bail and the matter was adjourned to May 6, when a report will be submitted.
Later yesterday, the police issued bulletins for Gibson and Gary Emanuel Dundas, saying they were wanted for questioning in relation to fraud committed at a government department. Police also re-issued bulletins for several persons from the original list released last Friday.
Gibson’s address was given as Gaulding Place, South Ruimveldt Park and Gary Emanuel Dundas’ address was given as Lot 432, West Ruimveldt, Georgetown.
Also being sought by the police are Shamshon Mohamed, 60, a security guard of Field 8, Sophia; Colleen Wendella Easton, 56, of Lot 21, Ogle Front, East Coast Demerara; Abiola Vanessa Roberts, 35, of Vigilance South, East Coast Demerara; Dianne Staglon, 39, of Lot 1, Vlissengen Road, Georgetown; and Nigel Anthony Adams, 38, 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, have been 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. It said all information would be treated with strict confidence.
