The damning police audit report on the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) has been sent to police legal advisor, retired Justice Claudette Singh, according to President David Granger, who said yesterday that it is now up to Police Commissioner Leslie James to take appropriate action.
Granger told Stabroek News that the auditors’ report was sent to James, who then forwarded it to Singh. James is presently awaiting a response. It is unclear how long the report has been in Singh’s possession.
It was James who initiated the audit in February following claims of grave mismanagement including the spending of the operational fund. That audit, which covered the last three years, was completed several weeks ago and the report, which included damning findings and more than a dozen recommendations including the immediate transfer of the unit’s head Sydney James and his secretary Kevin Haywood, was submitted to the commissioner. The two are still employed at SOCU.
The president told the media shortly after accepting Letters of Credence from new Suriname Ambassador to Guyana, Ebu Rohno Jones, that he has received no update from the Commissioner or Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan with regards to the fraud findings or the removal of persons.
“No, I have not been given any further information from when last we spoke,” he told reporters, adding that he had correctly said last Wednesday that SOCU is an organic part of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) and, as such, in terms of investigation and in terms of any recommendation out of the investigation, “it will be up to the Commissioner of Police first to initiate action and I am sure I will be advised by the Minister of Public Security.”
He said too that at Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting, nothing about this matter was reported.
Last Wednesday, following an engagement at his office, the president said that he had taken note of the reports of the findings. He rebuffed calls for the unit to be dismantled. Granger, on that occasion, assured that government will work to ensure public confidence in SOCU is restored.
Observers have questioned the inaction of the Commissioner and warned that this could further damage SOCU’s credibility.
According to information gleaned by Stabroek News, the GPF’s Audit Department, during its investigation, uncovered serious irregularities, including the falsification of records. The auditors found invoices from several business places that were duplicated or tampered with, fraudulent double entries, and false entries.
Aside from the transfers, fraud investigations into several of the irregularities were recommended.
Stabroek News was previously told that the SOCU head’s contract expires later this year and it is unlikely to be renewed. It would appear as though those in authority want to wait out this period. However, sources say that this will be “a slap in the face” as the audit made serious findings.
