Head of the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU), Assistant Commissioner of Police Fizul Karimbaksh has denied a report in yesterday’s Sunday Stabroek that Top Cop Clifton Hicken submitted a statement to the SOCU investigators acknowledging that he collected an envelope with $8.5m in cash from a businessman to offset the cost of Brutus’s wedding at the Pegasus Suites Atlantic Conference Centre.
“SOCU would like to place on record that the on-going investigation has no such statement from Hicken. And that no such statement about Hicken exists in the file”, a release from SOCU said. Karimbaskh called on media houses to be responsible when reporting on matters that are of sensitive nature.
SOCU has been tight-lipped on this probe which has proceeded for several months.
Minister of Home Affairs Robeson Benn at the end of August told Stabroek News that he was awaiting an update from the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) on the probe that was launched. There has been no further word from him.
On July 12, Benn announced that allegations of financial impropriety made against Brutus were being investigated by SOCU.
“Mr. Brutus has proceeded on leave to facilitate a full and complete investigation by SOCU. There will be no action in relation to any promotion of Mr. Brutus under these circumstances. Any promotion will be subject to the outcome of the investigation. SOCU has already commenced its investigation and the Government will be guided by the outcome of such investigation”, Benn had said.
Reports had swirled around Brutus and others in the police force but Eve Leary had shrugged them off.
