Money should be released shortly to ensure the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) has the equipment necessary for its functioning, according to President David Granger.
How soon the equipment is bought lies with the Minister of Public Security and the Police Commissioner, he said.
Granger made the comment in response to questions raised by reporters shortly after the opening ceremony of the Police Officers’ Annual Conference yesterday.
Director of The Fraud Company Dr. Sam Sittlington, who had been advising and training the unit, on Wednesday said that it lacked the necessary equipment and had to “beg or borrow” in some instances. He did not provide information on the type of equipment that is needed. He has also made several recommendations, one of which pertained to funding for, in part, the purchase of equipment.
Asked yesterday how soon government is going to move to equip SOCU properly, Granger said that the unit is part of the police force and that he has already signed the recently passed Appropriation Act, which means that money should be released shortly. During consideration of the estimates, it was revealed that $40M had been allocated for the unit under the Ministry of Presidency.
The National Assembly, following questions from the opposition, was informed that over time the unit will be moved from under that Ministry to under the Guyana Police Force.
Granger told reporters that it is up to Minister of Public Security and the Commissioner of Police to ensure the money is spent for the purposes for which it has been budgeted. On the question of when the equipment will be bought, he said that the Police Administration Act is very clear in giving the police commissioner that responsibility.
He also expressed confidence in the unit.
“So I can very confidently say that we will see a change. We have already started to see a change, particularly in investigations,” he said.
Dr. Sittlington said that in addition to increased staff, he was also recommending that there be approved funding to SOCU.
He took note of the ongoing discussions pertaining to who should fund the unit. “The autonomy of the unit needs to be addressed. A number of ministries have a say in the functioning of SOCU and this creates confusion and instability. To have clear ministerial direction and funding from one source and a budget that caters for the operational needs of SOCU is a priority,” he said.
He revealed too that much of the equipment supplied to SOCU had come from external sources. “So, in order to work effectively, SOCU needs to know what their budget is and that those funds are immediately available,” he stressed.
