Four Police Officers including a recently retired Assistant Commissioner were marched before the Chief Magistrate today to face various fraud charges related to missing funds in the Finance Department of the Police Force and the payment of a $19 million cheque.
The charges were laid by the Special Organised Crime Unit of the Force.
Appearing in Court today were former Assistant Commissioner Kevin Adonis, Police Sergeants Michael Corbin and Jermain Fraser and Corporal Rawl Haynes.
According to the Prosecutor’s case, in March of 2019, Police Officers Michael Corbin and Jermaine Fraser who were stationed in the Force’s Finance Department allegedly approved and reused a payment voucher for $19,030,767 for fuel purchase from Guyoil.
That approval resulted in the Finance Ministry preparing a cheque for the payment in the name of the Officer in Charge for F’ Division in Region 7.
The Officer in Charge of that Division at that time was Assistant Commissioner Adonis.
The SOCU Prosecutor is alleging that the cheque was endorsed by Mr. Adonis and later cashed at the Bank of Guyana by Corporal Rawl Haynes who took the Assistant Commissioner’s ID Card with him.
The Police Force has since indicated that Corporal Haynes was not the Finance Officer for the Division and was not therefore authorized to cash the cheque.
The investigation revealed that no records were made of the cheque or whom the money was disbursed to at âFâ Division, according to the Police.
The Police Force has also stated that an audit was conducted by the Auditor General, followed by the Police investigation.
The four police officers were today charged with the offence of conspiracy to commit a felony. They were granted $150,000 each on the charge.
Additionally, Sergeant Corbin was charged for the offence of computer related fraud. He was placed on $100,000 bail for that offence.
Corporal Haynes was also charged with the offence of larceny by a public officer. He was granted $50,000 bail.
The active officers have been interdicted from duty. The four accused will make their next Court appearance in the new month.
The Home Affairs Minister recently announced that more than $300 Million cannot be accounted for in the Finance Department of the Police Force. There are a number of other investigations underway.
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