Chief Constable drew the discovery of the money bag to the Mayor’s attention, matter still under probe

Dear Editor,

At a statutory meeting of the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) held on Monday, July 22, 2019 I noted with shock and surprise in the print media that the Mayor of Georgetown Pandit Ubraj Narine reported that a bag containing cash belonging to the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) was found inside the vehicle assigned to Chief Constable Andrew Foo, and the Local Government Commission has since been called in to launch an investigation.

I further noted that the Mayor said “The only thing that bothers me is that no one apprised me of this. I had to hear it on the road, which is not good for business…I heard it on the road and when I came here, I walked into the Town Clerk’s office and asked her to launch an investigation”, as reported in the  Guyana Chronicle newspaper on Tuesday, July 23, 2019.

I wish to state categorically that the Mayor’s claim of hearing of the discovery of the bag on the “road” is deceitful and is a clear attempt to tarnish the reputation of the Chief Constable and more particularly the image of the City Constabulary Department which is the policing arm of the Georgetown Municipality that is a hybrid body comprised of the regular personnel (sworn officers) and an auxiliary section of security guards.

The provision of services to the Municipality and to citizens is executed through several sub stations and units of the agency and pertain to the enforcement of the City Government By- Laws and other laws within the City limits, provision of cash escorts, protective details (demolition exercises) prosecution support to the Engineers and Public Health departments and security of Municipal installations. In keeping with its mandate under section 137 (1) of the Municipal and District Councils act Chap. 28:01, and also empowered under the Summary Jurisdiction Offences act. Chapter 8:02, section 4 (minor offences committed chiefly in Town) which provides for members of the City Police to have police powers.

Please allow me to set the record straight on the discovery of the bag containing cash belonging to the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) that was found inside the vehicle assigned to Chief Constable Andrew Foo on Tuesday, July 16, 2019 by City Police 1930 Norman Hope.

 At about 15:40 hours on Thursday, June, 20 2019 a request was made for the vehicle assigned to the Chief Constable’s office to be used to transport monies to the bank. In keeping with the request made City Police 1930 Norman Hope used vehicle number PVV 1405 assigned to the Chief Constable’s office to take the Revenue team, along with the Escort Unit of the City Constabulary Department to the bank and returned with them at City Hall Compound where they disembarked the said vehicle and went their separate ways. 

At about 16:00 hours on Tuesday, July 16, 2019 while City Police 1930 Hope was cleaning the said vehicle he discovered a sealed bank deposit bag under the driver’s seat and he immediately brought it to the attention of the Chief Constable.

The Chief Constable then summoned the Administrative Inspector Petal Bancroft-Anthony and the Officer in Charge of the City Police Investigation Section, Inspector Lindon Bristol to his office and informed them about what the City Police 1930 Hope had found in his vehicle.

Inspector Petal Bancroft-Anthony was instructed by the Chief Constable to lodge the sealed bank deposit bag at the Constabulary’s Enquiries office which she did without any delay.

Inspector Bristol was ordered to launch an investigation into the matter that commenced immediately which is ongoing.

Following that, the Chief Constable informed the Georgetown Mayor, Mr. Ubraj Narine; Acting Town Clerk, Sharon Harry- Munroe; Clerk of Market, Sherlock Lovell; the Human Resources Manager of the Georgetown Mayor and City Council, (M&CC) Paulette Braithwaite and other officials of the Council about the discovery of the bag containing cash.

At about 09:30 hours on Thursday, July 18, 2019 the Clerk of Markets, Mr. Sherlock Lovell arrived at the City Constabulary Headquarters and identified the bag containing cash belonging to the M&CC as the bag with the  monies collected from the  Bourda market in revenue collection  on Thursday, June 20, 2019.

Initial investigations revealed that the cash was checked off and placed in a bank deposit bag by the Bourda Revenue Collectors for depositing at the bank on Thursday, June 20, 2019.

Investigations further revealed that ranks attached to the Escort Unit of the City Constabulary department had transported the Bourda Revenue Collectors to the bank to deposit the money on Thursday, June 20, 2019 which they never did.

Three weeks later, on Tuesday, July 16, 2019 the bag containing the cash and deposit slip that was supposed to have been deposited by Revenue Collectors on Thursday, June 20, 2019 was found by City Police 1930 Hope inside the vehicle assigned to Chief Constable Foo and the matter is now under police investigation.

 However, I find it very strange at this initial stage of the investigation that the Mayor of Georgetown Mr. Ubraj Narine whom I have great respect for, in society as a young, intelligent and ambitious young man with integrity would go publicly to say that the Chief Constable never informed him about the incident and he only learnt about it on the road when it is not so. 

The Mayor of Georgetown should retract the statement he made at Monday’s statutory meeting and apologize since his report on the matter can be seen as an attempt to tarnish the reputation of the Chief Constable and more particularly the image of the City Constabulary Department collectively which doesn’t look good in the eyesight of public.

Yours faithfully,

Rayvonne P. Bourne