Even as he denied refusing to cooperate with Guyana Police Force auditors looking into the financial records of the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU), an Alberttown businessman yesterday said that the unit’s head, Assistant Commissioner Sydney James, still owes him for the rental of two of his vehicles.
Mohamed Ali, who owns Aidan’s Car Rental, said he is owed for six months and claims that late last year he had to demand the return of a vehicle that was reportedly driven by former SOCU advisor, Sam Sittlington, because of the outstanding money. Sittlington has repeatedly said that he paid and collected the receipts for all the vehicles he rented while in Guyana.
As part of the audit, James had submitted records to show that $10.3 million was paid to Ali for car rental services. The vagueness of the receipts, which have no letterhead or official stamps, raised red flags. This was further compounded by what the auditors said was the businessman’s refusal to cooperate.
Wanting to clear his name and protect his image, Ali told Stabroek News yesterday that he played no part in wrongdoing and just wants the close to $2 million still owed to him. He has already sought legal advice in this regard and will soon commence the process to recover the sum.
The audit, which was completed several weeks ago, recommended an investigation of the payments made to Ali.
According to the audit report, a copy of which was seen by this newspaper, auditors contacted Ali and after informing him of the ongoing audit at SOCU, he related that all of his records were intact and as such immediately produced a file containing several copies of receipts.
“On his receipts, it was observed that the vehicle registration numbers and rental periods were stated,” the report said.
Ali, the report said, was shown the receipts that were given to the auditors by SOCU and stated that his wife wrote the receipts, not him, and that he would produce copies of the rental receipts on February 20th for the auditors.
An arrangement was made for the auditors to collect the receipts the following day but according to the report they returned at 10 am and 2 pm but Ali was not around.
On March 25th, one of the auditors returned and was told by Ali to return on March 27th.
According to the report, at 1.30 pm on the new date the auditor returned to Ali’s car rental but he was not there. A woman, however, was there and called Ali on his cell phone. The auditor spoke to him but before he could have uttered a proper greeting, the report said Ali stated clearly that he “was not working with the police and that he would not provide any information to any auditor” before the call was disconnected.
“It is clear, Ali, whether by his own volition or on instructions was, and is not willing to cooperate with the Auditors. It only lends to the impression that he is involved in corrupt transactions,” the report stated.
The audit recommended that Ali be reported to the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) for providing unofficial receipts to the police, since it is required by GRA for official businesses to have letterhead receipts with their TIN number and his did not.
The amount paid to Ali represented 43.6% of SOCU’s expenditure for the audit period.
When this newspaper contacted Ali, he denied the auditors’ account of the events, while insisting that he had nothing to hide and was running a legitimate business.
He explained that the $10.3 million represented an accumulation of money for rentals dating back to when the unit was first established.
According to him, when the auditors came he gave them all of the information, some of which were written in books. He said that he was asked to write up the information according to the month. He said he indicated to the ranks that he would do so but they would have to come before 9 the following morning as he had a funeral to attend out of town. “We all agreed on that. I waited until 10 or 11 am,” he said adding that he proceeded to the funeral without meeting with the auditors.
He said around 3 pm his maid called him and during that conversation, the phone was taken from her and a male voice was heard at the other end. According to Ali, he and the man, who identified himself as a police auditor, had an exchange. “I never said to them I was never going to furnish nothing,” he said, before adding that sometime after he made contact with the audit office and was told that the information was no longer needed.
He explained that he has been renting vehicles to James prior to him working at SOCU. Based on his explanation, it was James he conducted business with. He said James would call and say he needed vehicles and individuals identified by James would later uplift them. Most of the vehicles are high end ones.
At the end of each month, he said invoices were sent to James. He was unsure if he would put the car number but said that that information would be in his possession.
He recalled that sometime in January, James and another man came to him and asked for the receipts for the monies owed.
“If the auditors come tomorrow morning, they could get it (the receipts) and if they want a statement I can give them. I have nothing to hide. Nothing. I need my outstanding money in a lump sum. I don’t need it in pieces,” Ali told Stabroek News.
“How could I be corrupted and me ain’t even getting paid fuh de wuk I do?” he further questioned before adding that he operates a small business which he assured is registered. “I issued them receipts and all those receipts would have had stamp at the back with revenue stamp,” he stressed.
Bogus car rental payments
Meanwhile, among the other irregularities found were more than $400,000 in non-existent car rental payments and questions concerning the repairs for a Ministry of the Presidency vehicle.
According to the report, three photocopied Carmart Automotive Centre invoices were entered into account as payment for rental of a RAV 4 for the amounts of $234,000, $110,000 and $71,000.
However, the owner of the establishment claims he never rented his vehicle to SOCU but rather it was Sittlington who rented same for $234,000 and who paid him. The man, according to the report, stated that he issued a receipt to Sittlington, who requested one to give the British High Commission. “He claimed that SOCU never paid him the $110,000 or the $71,000 as is stated on the other two invoices, but they did request all the invoices in relation to Dr. Sam’s rental,” the report said, while adding that the total amount was fraudulently included in the account as expenditure incurred by SOCU.
According to the audit report, it was observed that SOCU entered into its account as expenditure $39,000.00 and $234,000.00 on 2018-03-22 for car rental paid to Carmart.
The owner of the establishment again denied renting his vehicle to the entity or receiving any money from any staff member. He indicated that it was Sittlington who rented and paid for that vehicle and a receipt was given to this effect. Sittlington, the report added, provided a written statement confirming that he paid for all his car rentals and he also provided a copy of money transferal to James as evidence of this.
With regards to the Ministry of the Presidency vehicle, the report said that according to the information provided, A and F Auto Repairs, for which 31 Norton Street was given as the address, was paid a total of $1,719,000 on five occasions to repair motor vehicle PRR 2609.
On March 19th, at 12 pm, the auditors visited that address only to discover that such a business did not exist there. At that location, there are two houses, both of which were locked at the time of the visit, and a church.
“Records at GRA showed that PRR 2609, is registered to Ministry of Presidency and is not a police vehicle,” the report said, before recommending an investigation.
Minister of Public Security Khemraj Ramjattan said on Friday that the “damning” findings of the audit require the “shifting around” of persons and possibly firings.
“I understand that action will be taken by the Commissioner…I saw the report and it is not a very nice report,” Ramjattan said.
The audit was ordered by the Police Commissioner following reports of grave mismanagement at the unit, including concerns about the spending of the operations fund. Though the audit was completed and the report handed over to the commissioner weeks ago, James and his Secretary, who it was recommended be transferred immediately, are still on the job.
