Ram says SOCU should have pursued masterminds in $4.1b laundering case

Chartered Accountant and attorney, Christopher Ram has questioned why the authorities did not try to snare the masterminds in the laundering of monies to China rather than focusing their attention on a family of three from Herstelling on the East Bank Demerara (EBD).

Amid long-running questions about why they have been unable to prosecute persons here for laundering the proceeds of crime, the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) last week instituted $4.1b worth of money laundering charges against the Ramnarine family. A release from SOCU made the startling disclosure that the transactions pertained to 22 Chinese companies. Questions were immediately raised as to what action was being pursued against these Chinese companies but there was no information in the SOCU statement about this. Sources say that pursuing the Chinese companies would fall in the remit of SOCU and the Guyana Revenue Authority.