-SOCU probe found $343.8m in drugs, testing kits unaccounted for
The Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) yesterday charged two former employees of the Ministry of Health’s Material Management Unit (MMU) Bond with money laundering in a probe that found that $343.8m in drugs and COVID-19 testing kits were unaccounted for.
The two persons charged are: Terrence Williams, a 26-year-old miner of Lot 123 Farm, East Bank Demerara, and Kerron Webster, a 29-year-old Lot 344 Middle Street, North Cummingsburg, Georgetown. The police in a statement yesterday did not identify the period in which the drugs and COVID-19 testing kits went unaccounted for. The MMU Bond is located at 1st Avenue, Diamond Housing Scheme. The police said yesterday that SOCU is currently pursuing forfeiture of the duo’s properties.
The two men were charged separately by SOCU. Webster appeared at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court #5 before Acting Chief Magistrate Faith McGusty where he was not required to plead to the indictable charge. The charge accused him of contravening the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Act.
He was granted bail in the sum of $100,000 and the matter was postponed to 6th December 2024 for report.
Williams, who was charged with two counts of money laundering, did not appear in court. His matters were postponed to the 22nd November 2024 and 9th December 2024 respectively for charges to be read to him. He is currently incarcerated at the Lusignan Prison serving a three-year sentence for possession of a firearm and ammunition which the police said has a direct connection with the money laundering cases he is now facing.
SOCU said that information surfaced that Williams and Webster, while being employees
of the Ministry of Health’s MMU bond stole a quantity of pharmaceutical and Covid-19 testing kits from the facility.
As a result, the matter was reported to the Golden Grove Police Station and the police contacted the duo at the said location and conducted a search. During the search, they found a .38 pistol, several matching rounds of ammunition, along with $4,580,000 in Guyana currency and $5,760 in US currency.
Williams and Webster were arrested and Williams was subsequently charged with the offence of possession of a firearm and ammunition without a licence. He was found guilty and sentenced to three years imprisonment.
The police statement said that SOCU conducted a parallel money laundering investigation and a special audit was done at the drug bond. It was revealed that some $343.8m in Guyana currency in drugs and testing kits were unaccounted for.
According to SOCU, the duo had unrestricted access to the pharmaceutical and testing kits from the bond. They allegedly misused their authority and stole a quantity of the items mentioned above which they sold and used the proceeds of the crime to enrich themselves. SOCU is currently pursuing forfeiture of the duo’s properties.
The Ministry of Health has never issued a public statement on the potential losses from the MMU and what steps it might have taken to protect the MMU.
On March 21, 2022, the police had issued a statement on this case.
The police said that a probe of larceny at the Health Ministry’s MMU Bond ended up with a bribe being offered by an employee following the discovery of two guns, ammunition and a large amount of cash in his vehicle.
The police said that acting on a report of simple larceny at the bond, police in the division visited the location at 1 pm to conduct investigations.
Investigators interviewed several employees who were fingered in the alleged crime. The police said that they all denied the allegation and investigators proceeded to search a motorcar (PAB 3032), owned by one of the male suspects and found on the back seat one duffel bag which when opened was found to contain a 9MM Luger pistol without a magazine and two rounds of 9MM ammunition. Police also found one .380 pistol with a magazine containing 7 matching rounds of ammunition and a large quantity of cash. In the side pocket of the said bag 20 rounds of .380 ammunition were found.
The vehicle owner was cautioned over the offence committed and replied “Officer leh we deal with this before it reach de station.”
The man was arrested along with the other employees of the bond and taken to the Golden Grove Police Station where they were placed into custody pending further investigations.
At the Golden Grove Police Station CID office, while being questioned about the firearms and ammunition without licence, the motorcar owner requested his bag and he withdrew and offered the police investigators $1,750,000 cash to forego the said charges.
At this point, the police said that he was told of the new offence committed – Corrupt Transaction with Agent – cautioned in accordance with the Judge’s Rules and he replied “Well sir tek de whole bag a money all I want is me freedom”.
A total of $4,580,000 in cash was found on him which included US$5,760 and the rest in Guyanese currency. The money, firearms and ammunition were lodged and the employee detained.
The 2023 Auditor General’s report which was tabled in Parliament earlier this year also addressed the matter.
It said that during a security check at the MMU, a staff member was found in possession of five boxes of Lidocaine.
“In August 2022, the Permanent Secretary requested a special audit to be conducted at the Unit. The audit was conducted by the Audit Office and an interim report dated 16 September 2022 was issued to the Head of the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU). At the time of this report, the special investigation was on-going”, the report said.
The Ministry’s response to the audit office was that it was cooperating with this investigation. The Audit Office recommended that on conclusion of the investigation, the Ministry provides the Audit Office with an update.
