Rawl Richards Haynes, a police corporal, of Lot 2 Hydronie, East Bank Essequibo, was yesterday charged with three counts of money laundering.
According to a release from the Guyana Police Force, the matters were heard at the Leonora Magistrate’s Court where Haynes appeared before Magistrate Zamilla Ally-Seepaul and was not required to plead to the indictable charges. Two of charges had similar particulars which stated that on April 7, 2020 he converted the sum of $7 million and $1 million respectively for part payment for properties located at Lots 284 and 285 Block 8, Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo, respectively, knowing or having reason to believe that the monies were the proceeds of crime with the aim of concealing or disguising the illicit origin of the cash. He was placed on $200,000 bail on the two charges and the matters were adjourned to January 17.
The other charge read that on August 22, 2019, he converted the sum of $2,900,000 for the payment for one Toyota Allion motor car, PYY 357, knowing or having reason to believe that the money was the proceeds of crime with the aim of concealing or disguising the illicit origin of the cash. He was granted bail in the sum of $100,000 and the matter was transferred to the Wales Magistrate’s Court for January 25. He was represented by attorney Dexter Todd.
In March 2021, Haynes, along with Retired Assistant Commissioner of Police, Kevin Adonis; and Sergeants Michael Corbin and Jermaine Fraser, were charged by SOCU with conspiracy to defraud the Guyana Police Force of $19 million, and he was also charged with the offence of Larceny by Public Officer. This was after it was discovered by the Guyana Police Force that millions of dollars were stolen in conspiracies allegedly between several senior and junior officers. Hence the cases were referred to the Special Organized Crime Unit (SOCU) for investigation and prosecution. Several senior and junior officers were charged and placed before the courts for several fraud-related offences and conspiracies to defraud the Guyana Police Force. Haynes has been on the Force’s radar since 2020, the police said.
According to the Head of SOCU, Assistant Commissioner Fazil Karimbaksh, the police corporal carried out a number of substantial cash-based transactions. On April 7, 2020, Haynes purchased a property at Lot 285 Block 8, Plantation Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo, for the sum of $13 million and on the same day he also purchased a portion of land situated at Lot 284 Block 8, Plantation Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo for the sum of $2 million. The properties are situated next to each other. Official documents suggest that the properties would be transferred to Haynes upon the completion of court proceedings which are presently pending. Karimbaksh added that Haynes had purchased two motor cars between August 2019 and February 2020 and currently, SOCU has a restraining order on one of the vehicles.
