Moments after he arrived in Guyana after being extradited by Canadian authorities, former Accountant at the Guyana Rice Development Board, Peter Ramcharran found himself facing the Chief Magistrate and being remanded to jail on 39 charges of fraud.

With his Attorney Sase Gunraj at his side, Ramcharran, who had run off to Canada during a massive probe of the GRDB, stood quietly in the Courtroom as the charges were read to him.

The fraud charges add up to more than $414 million and are related to funds that the GRDB would have gotten through the Petro Caribe rice deal.

In court, the former GRDB accountant was quizzed about his absence from the Court for more than two years since the charges were initially filed.

His Attorney, Sase Gunraj explained to the Court that his client migrated and began studies in Canada after he faced questioning from the local authorites about the GRDB fraud case.

The Attorney said Mr. Ramcharran learnt of a warrant out for his arrest through reports in the Guyanese media and it was then that he decided to fight his extradition to Guyana.

He lost that extradition and was returned to Guyana earlier today.

The Court was told that it is alleged that between 2011 and 2015 Ramcharran, while being the Accountant of the GRDB, omitted to enter some $414 million in the GRDB’s accounting ledger.

SOCU Prosecutor, Patrice Henry objected to bail based on the fact that Ramcharran has already evaded the Court and his trial for over two years.

The Magistrate agreed that the accused might still be a flight risk and therefore she remanded him to jail.

He will return to Court on the 25th March, when the case will continue.

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