Carol Smith Joseph, of 99 Main Street, Hopetown, West Coast Berbice was today charged by the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) with fourteen indictable charges of Fraudulent Appropriation of Property of Body Corporate committed on the Mahaica Abary Rice Development Scheme (MARDS).
A statement from the police said that she appeared at the Mahaicony Magistrate’s Court before Magistrate Marissa Mittleholzer where the charges were read to her. She was not required to plead and was granted bail in the sum of $10,000 per charge, a total sum of $140,000.
She was represented by attorneys-at-law Nigel Hughes and Roysdale Forde.
The cases were adjourned to 11th January 2023 for statements and 7th June 2023 for Preliminary Inquiry to commence.
According to the police, during March 2022, a report was made to SOCU by MARDS of fraudulent appropriation of funds of that company by Joseph, who was a director of that company at the time. As a result of that report, SOCU commenced investigations.
During the course of the investigations it was revealed that Joseph was appointed as a Director of MARDS between the period July 2015 and June 2018 by the then Minister of State of Guyana. It is alleged that she as a director on the MARDS board, without authority, solely approved fourteen transactions amounting to $6,121,108 without the Board’s knowledge and approval between 1st June 2016 and August 2016.
The police said that it is alleged that these amounts were used for her personal benefits and other purposes other than that of MARDS business.