The Special Organized Crime Unit (SOCU) is currently looking at 18 forensic audit reports, which have resulted over 100 smaller investigations, according to its head Sydney James.
James, while stating that his investigators are working around the clock to close the cases, stressed that it is no easy task given the complexity of the matters.
Speaking to Stabroek News at his office yesterday, James informed that none of the investigations stemming from the 18 audit reports referred to the Unit have yet been completed. He explained that although charges have been filed and legal advice sought in some of the cases, investigations into other aspects are still being conducted.
The reports currently engaging SOCU’s attention are from government ordered audits of National Industrial and Commer-cial Investments Limited (NICIL), the Guyana Marketing Corporation, Cricket World Cup, the Sparendaam Housing Project (Pradoville 2), the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB), Guyana Power and Light Inc, Mahaica Mahaicony Abary-Agriculture Development Autho-rity, Guyana Office for Investment, the Hydrometeorological Office, the National Communications Network (NCN), the Marriott Hotel, the Guyana Energy Agency, GuyOil, the Guyana Gold Board, the National Frequency Management Unit, the One Laptop Per Family project, the E-Governance Project and the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation.
Minister of Public Security Khemraj Ramjattan was recently quoted by the Kaieteur News as saying that a number of former PPP/C government ministers will be charged this week as a result of a criminal probe of the findings of the NICIL audit.
He stated too that SOCU’s recommendations along with the case file are now attracting the attention of a team special prosecutors who are perusing the documents and will then recommend who is to be charged.
While James did not want to go into the specifics of this particular case, given that Ramjattan has already spoken publicly about it, he said that this matter is not yet complete. “NICIL is not complete. NICIL is ongoing and all the remaining work is still being done,” he added.
In attempting to further explain the complexity of the audit investigations, James said that there are about 86 separate investigations arising out of the NICIL audit and 45 out of the GRDB audit. He explained that the challenge with these matters is that “people might think that if I say NICIL, it is one matter… [but] it has several investigations inside.”
Asked if any of the investigations stemming from the NICIL audit had been concluded, he said “several files from NICIL have been referred for legal advice.”
Stabroek News was able to confirm that as of late yesterday afternoon, a file sent to special prosecutors was still being looked at. This newspaper was told that though SOCU may make a recommendation, there was no guarantee that it will be agreed with. Sources said that the final decision in all of the investigations handled by SOCU rests with the Chambers of the Director of Public Prosecutions and the police legal advisor. SOCU does not lay charges, the sources stressed, while adding that the unit merely follows whatever legal advice is given.
In the NICIL audit report, former Auditor-General Anand Goolsarran urged that criminal and/or disciplinary actions be instituted against all those responsible for the interception of state revenues totaling $26.858 billion in violation of Articles 216 of the Constitution and the related sections of the Fiscal Management and Accountability Act. He also urged criminal and/or disciplinary actions against all those responsible for violating Article 217 of the Constitution by causing expenditure to be incurred out of state resources without parliamentary approval.
James, during the interview, said that progress has been made in other matters, including the cases stemming from the GMC audit. One matter has been referred to the court from that audit and he said another file from the audit has been referred for legal advice.
The Pradoville 2 matter is also one of much interest as it involves cabinet members of the former PPP/C government and other high ranking affiliates who are alleged to have acquired land for a fraction of what it was actually worth.
When asked about this matter, James told Stabroek News the investigation is “reaching the stage of finalization.”
A special investigation of the Sparendaam Housing Project, referred to as ‘Pradoville 2,’ which was part of a larger probe of the financial operations of the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CHPA), was conducted by accounting firm Ram & McRae.
The investigation revealed that the allocation of the land was a clandestine arrangement that was handled personally by former housing minister Irfaan Ali and it was concluded that a criminal case for misfeasance can be made against the PPP/C Cabinet members who benefited.
Director of The Fraud Company Dr Sam Sittlington told this newspaper last month that SOCU was making progress with this investigation. He had said that investigators were continuing to build a case before proceeding to question those implicated. “It is an ongoing process, but before you can interview anyone, you want to have your cards ready to deal,” he said, when asked whether the former cabinet members had been questioned.
Asked about the other matters that the Unit has before it, James said that these number in the dozens. He said that these matters include gold smuggling, currency smuggling and money laundering.
Concerns have been raised that the Unit does not possess the manpower necessary to deal with the large volume of investigations before it.
Sittlington, who was hired as a consultant to look into the operations of the Unit, had said last month that with in excess of 300 investigations pending, SOCU was unable to effectively tackle them with its current staff complement. At the time of Sittlington’s comments, the unit only had four investigators.
Stabroek News has since learnt that the capacity of the Unit has been boosted and that there are expected to be more additions in the near future.
Sittlington spent some time in Guyana last year working closely with the Unit and returned recently on a follow-up visit.
