A lot of work has to be put into the setting up of a State Assets Recovery Unit (SARU), according to Minister of State Joseph Harmon, who says that it could take some time before results are seen.
As government explores its options to link up with local and international agencies to recover money and other assets allegedly stolen under the former government, interviews are currently being conducted to find suitable persons who would be tasked with executing the mandate of the unit.
Harmon told Stabroek News last Wednesday just after the first sitting of parliament had ended that the work to set up SARU is ongoing. He was quick to point out that the results would not be seen overnight because “there are some legislative work which has to be put in place to give the unit the kind of authority.”
He said that the unit was discussed at cabinet and there is a general outline for it. He said that in another couple of weeks more details will be made available.
At the moment, he said, individuals who will form part of this unit and who will be under the direction of the president are being interviewed. He said that “at this stage, we have a lot of things to do. We have to link the international entities. We have to deal with the local organizations like Transparency International [Guyana Inc], the human rights association and various public bodies that have a direct input in this idea that state assets should be recovered and be utilized for the benefit for the people of this country.”
Further, he said that government will be sponsoring some public engagements so that members of the public can become more involved in the process.
The bottom line, according to the minister, is that it must be accepted that people who are culpable where the nation’s assets are concerned “will not get away with it.”
He said too that the unit will be vested with broad powers and will not be vulnerable to political strictures.
Meanwhile, asked about the PPP/C criticisms of the initiative, Harmon told Stabroek News “well you have to think about the person that made that comment. If that person feels it is a stupid idea …we will wait to see what are the consequences of it, if it is a stupid idea or not.”
Harmon said that if international organizations have addressed the issues and made statements about it “how could a right thinking political party or a right thinking political individual speak about this being a stupid idea…”
SOCU
Asked about Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU), Harmon said that the entity is in full operation.
He said that the unit is an arm of the anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism framework and is one of the measures that have been put in place to satisfy the requirements in dealing with this issue.
“It is a special organized unit so the work of course has to be special, a lot of it apart from special has to be secret because we don’t want to put the money launderers and smugglers on notice,” he said.
Asked if any work has begun, he responded in the affirmative saying that he cannot provide information on the staff complement. He said that an office has been set up on Camp Road and there are staff members there working. “There are staff at work. There is a head named and he is at work and there is staff employed in the unit…,” he said
Former Guyana Defence Force Lieutenant Colonel Sydney James was last year appointed to head the unit. He was also bestowed with the rank of Assistant Commissioner of Police.
It was former Head of the Presidential Secretariat Dr Roger Luncheon who had announced the then government’s intention to create the unit, which will deal primarily with investigating suspected cases of money laundering and the financing of terrorism.
Luncheon had stated that the unit would work alongside the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) to compile information. The unit was then to act as an intermediary between the FIU and the Director of Public Prosecutions. Further, he had revealed that SOCU would comprise skilled investigators trained by an external investigator. Then Attorney General Anil Nandlall had said that SOCU’s investigators would come from law enforcement as well as strong financial backgrounds. The unit will be pursuing leads based on intelligence provided by the FIU.
The first public confirmation that the unit was functioning was made last year November when over $9 million, suspected to have been illicit gains, was confiscated from a Bulgarian national.
On October 29 last, the SOCU intercepted the Bulgarian national as he was entering Guyana at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Timehri with US$45,630 and €740 in his suitcase.
The money was seized under the provisions of the current Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Act.
The Bulgarian national left Guyana the day after without the funds.
