Executive members of the Bartica Passengers Speed Boat Owners Association have accused a member of forging a letter to have his boat licence replaced and continuing to operate his boat despite being told that his vessel has been deemed illegal.
It is alleged that the member tried to replace his boat licence from the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) on May 7, and produced a document from the speed boat association bearing the signatures of the association’s treasurer, Victor Wong, and vice-chairman Gary Jordan. Upon seeing the document, officials at MARAD, who are familiar with the signatures of the executive members, became suspicious.
Chairman of the association Leslie Nurse told this newspaper that on May 7, the association received a call from MARAD querying the signatures on the document. The maritime department then asked for copies of the signatures of Wong and Jordan from the association, in order to verify the authenticity of the document. It was after the division received and compared the signatures that it was able to confirm that they were forged.
The member was confronted with the allegation and later admitted to the offence, Nurse said. However, he still proceeded to load his vessel. When confronted by the person who monitors the operation of boats, the member reportedly told him that he had no time with him and the association, and that he deals with Minister [Robeson Benn] and President [Donald Ramotar]. The police were summoned to the scene, but were also unable to prevent the man from operating his boat.
Efforts to contact the man and MARAD have been futile.
Nurse commented that any document obtained from the association must have the signatures of all four executive members. He lamented that this was not the first time the man had committed such an act and that previous allegations have been made against him pertaining to the same issue.
Nurse also stated that the man was asked to return the association’s documents, after he was dismissed on May 30, but has failed to so. He also mentioned that the matter was reported to the police who are currently investigating it.
