Amerindian Affairs PS to face corruption charges over alleged kickback scheme

Two months after she was arrested following a sting operation by the Police, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs, Sharon Hicks, will have to face the Court to answer corruption charges.

Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum confirmed this afternoon that the Police Force has been advised to go ahead with filing corruption charges against the senior government official.

Hicks is expected in Court before the end of the week.

Just over two months ago, the Police started to investigate the Permanent Secretary after a government contractor complained that he was allegedly being forced by her to make payments to her monthly for a contract that he won from the Ministry that she managed.

The man claimed that he became tired of making the monthly payments to the official and needed it to stop.

As part of the investigations, the Police set up a sting operation and during that operation a quantity of marked money was delivered to the Permanent’s Secretary’s office as the alleged bribery payment.

She was arrested the same day with the money in her office.

The Permanent Secretary was initially held for demanding money by menace. She was granted station bail and remained off her job as the investigations continued and advice was sought from the DPP’s Office.

In the past two months, the DPP’s office requested additional information on the investigations before eventually deciding today to instruct that charges be filed in the matter.