Either there is no record of reports made to the police or the police files for 13 alleged cases of fraud and corruption in government offices, dating back to as far as 1997, cannot be found, the Ministry of Finance’s most recent Treasury Memorandum says.
The Treasury Memorandum, for the years 2012, 2013 and 2014, was laid in the National Assembly on Monday.
High on the list is the loss of 11 digital cameras from the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) stores in 2005, for which efforts are being made to locate the files, the memorandum said.
There is no record of 16 stolen 450-gallon water tanks from GECOM as reported to the police on August 29th, 2014.
On a missing air conditioning unit that could not be found after the general elections on May 11th, 2015 at the Public Service Ministry, there is no record of a report made to the police.
With regards to a request made to the police to help find missing employees of the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs, the Treasury Memorandum said, there is no record of any report made to the police.
In relation to water pumps bought by the Ministry of Agriculture during 2013 and which could not be accounted for during audit inspections, efforts are being made to find the relevant file.
Regarding the misappropriation of $136,037 from the Ministry of Education in 1997, no report has been found.
On the misappropriation of $5.1 million at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation during 2013, documents were collected for an audit but the findings have not yet been given to the police.
The memorandum also said that efforts are being made to find the files on approval “not received” for the write-off of gasoline valued at $4.3 million in the Office of the Region Two (Pomeroon/Supenaam) Regional Democratic Council and the loss of $3.6 million of cash from Anna Regina Multilateral School in 2004.
The memorandum also noted that the Audit Department of Region Four (Demerara/Mahaica) has not given documents to the police on the uplifting of $733,076 for fuel used by vehicles not owned by the region.
On the unaccounted use of fuel, valued $21.9 million at Whim Stores, Manarabisi and Black Bush Polder pump stations in 2007, the memorandum said, the police requested more information but the Auditor General has not given them to date.
In relation to the alleged robbery on February 17, 2011 of $5.5 million from the PAS (Finance) office of Region Ten (Upper Demerara/Upper Berbice) Regional Democratic Council’s Regional Accounting Unit’s safe, the memorandum said efforts are being made to find the file.
Meanwhile, it was noted that the $4.2 million overdrawn in 2012 from the account of the Supreme Court of Judicature, Tiffany Peters was charged and convicted and sentenced to 60 months of theft of $3.046 million and received a dismissal for $1.1 million.
In relation to the theft of 103 laptops from the One Laptop Per Family (OLPF) programme which was run by the Office of the President, the memorandum said, an investigation was conducted but no charge was instituted following legal advice. A Richard Khanai was charged with receiving two stolen computers, found guilty and made to pay a fine of $100,000. The OLFP file is with the Special Organised Crime Unit.
The memorandum said that the Ministry of Finance will remain in contact with the Guyana Police Force on the outstanding matters.
