Two former Guyana Defence Force (GDF) ranks who were responsible for procuring fuel on behalf of their employer have been charged with stealing over $700 million worth of it.
The ex-GDF ranks: Terry Milling, 35, of South Cummings Lodge, Georgetown and Delon Wilson, 34, of Kuru Kururu, Soesdyke/ Linden Highway, along with businessman Gangadeo Sridat, 48, of New Road, Vreed-en-Hoop, West Coast Demerara, were taken yesterday before Magistrate Judy Latchman at the Grove/Diamond Magistrate’s Court.
Together they were charged and released on $300,000 bail each. They denied that between January 1, 2015, and June 30, 2020, at Guyoil Terminal, Providence, East Bank Demerara, they conspired together with persons unknown to commit a felony, by stealing $745,559,430 worth of fuel, property of the GDF.
According to the GDF, Milling and Wilson were responsible for procuring fuel on behalf of the GDF from the Guyana Oil Company (Guyoil). However, following an audit, it was reported that $745 million worth of fuel had not been received. According to the GDF, following the Auditor General’s Report for the fiscal year 2020, it was revealed that an unauthorised vehicle continued to receive millions of dollars in fuel on the GDF’s behalf.
It was reported that in 2019, motor vehicle, GHH 7538, was flagged as receiving $181.567 million in fuel for the GDF. The Auditor General informed that the vehicle is not in the Force’s nor its supplier Guyana Oil Company’s (Guyoil) database. A criminal investigation was launched and a forensic audit conducted. Again, the 2020 report flagged the vehicle for receiving a total of $67.455 million in fuel. Providing a breakdown of the figure, the Auditor General reported that $303.043 million was expended for the purchase of fuel with $191.161 million paid for bulk fuel.
The GDF purchases fuel in bulk and retail quantities. As it relates to bulk fuel, the Force makes prepayments to Guyoil based on its estimated consumption and whenever the need arises, it would request that the company deliver it to camps Ayanganna and Stephenson and Coast Guard Headquarters at Ruimveldt, Georgetown. The arrangement is that ranks on duty would sign for receiving the fuel while the delivery drivers sign for picking up the fuel.
The police eventually issued a wanted bulletin for Wilson in relation to the probe.
