Retired Assistant Police Commissioner Kevin Adonis and three ranks were today charged with conspiring to steal over $19 million from the Guyana Police Force (GPF).
In addition to Adonis, of Lot 95 Stewartville, West Bank Demerara, those charged are Police Sergeant Michael Corbin, of Lot 315 First Avenue, Parfaite Harmony, West Bank Demerara, Police Sergeant Jermaine Fraser, of Lot 4116 Phase One Westminster, also on the West Bank, and Police Corporal Rawl Haynes, of Lot 2 Hydronie, East Bank Essequibo.
They were not required to plead to the charges which were read to them when they appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan in Georgetown.
It is alleged that between March 26, 2019 and March 29, 2019, at Georgetown, the four, while being public officers, employed by the GPF, conspired among themselves and with other persons unknown and stole $19 million belonging to the GPF.
It was also alleged that on March 26, 2019, at the GPF Finance Office, Eve Leary, Kingston, Georgetown, Corbin made a payment voucher entry in the sum of $19 million, resulting in inauthentic data, with the intent that it be considered or acted upon by the Ministry of Finance’s Integrated Financial Management Information System (IFMIS) staff as if it were authentic, regardless of whether or not the said data was directly readable or intelligible.
It is further alleged that on March 29, 2019, at Georgetown, Haynes, while being a public officer, employed at the GPF, stole $19 million, belonging to the GPF.
Attorney-at-law Mark Waldron represented Adonis, while Corbin was represented by attorney-at-law Patrice Henry, Fraser was represented by attorney-at-law Latchmi Rahamat and Haynes was represented by attorney-at-law Dexter Todd. The four men were placed on $150,000 bail for the joint charge while Corbin was placed on $100,000 bail and Haynes was placed on $50,000 bail for the separate charges they face.
The matters were adjourned until April 12.
In a statement on the charges, the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) explained that Corbin and Fraser were stationed at the Votes Section of the Police Finance Office, at Force Headquarters, Eve Leary in March, 2019, when they were tasked with the responsibility of inputting and approving information, respectively, from Payment Vouchers in the IFMIS, which results in the Ministry of Finance processing cheques for the amounts inputted.
SOCU alleges that Corbin reused a payment voucher with supporting documents for fuel purchased from GUYOIL to input information in the IFMIS, while Fraser approved the said information, resulting in a cheque amounting to $19 million being cut, payable to O/C ‘F’ Division. The cheque was uplifted from the Ministry of Finance and lodged at the Police Finance Office.
It was further stated by SOCU that Adonis endorsed the cheque and Haynes, while not being authorized or being the Finance Rep for ‘F’ Division, encashed the check at the Bank of Guyana while using Adonis’ national identification card. SOCU said that records of the cheque and who the money was disbursed to at ‘F’ Division were not recorded. However, the men were charged after an audit was conducted by the Auditor General and following further investigations done by the police.
