One day after summoning her to the headquarters of the Special Organised Crime Unit for questioning, APNU+AFC Chief Scrutineer Carol Smith-Joseph found herself being slapped with 14 fraud charges in relation to allegations that first surfaced in 2016.

According to SOCU, in March of this year, it received a complaint from the Mahaica Abary Rice Development Scheme (MARDS) Rice Milling Complex Limited, against Smith-Joseph.

According to SOCU, the Private Company alleged fraudulent appropriation of funds of by Carol Smith-Joseph, who was a director of that company at the time. 

SOCU said it launched an investigation and during the course of the investigations, it was revealed that Carol Smith-Joseph as a director on the company’s board, approved fourteen transactions amounting to over $6.1 million without the knowledge of the board. The alleged incident reportedly took place between the 1st June 2016 and August 2016.

SOCU said that on the completion of the investigations a file was prepared and sent to the DPP’s Chambers for legal advice and based on that legal advice from the DPP’s chambers, the 14 allegations of Fraudulent Appropriation of Property of Body Corporate were put to to Carol Smith-Joseph.

Smith-Joseph was accompanied this morning to SOCU by her Attorneys Roysdale Forde, Nigel Hughes and Darren Wade.

Mr. Hughes said he believes that the charges are a direct response to the move by Smith-Joseph to the Court recently over the local government elections.

Her move to the Court has forced the Elections Commission to consider reopening the claims and objections period to make corrections to the voters list.

The APNU+AFC Opposition has accused SOCU of harassment and following political directives.

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Smith-Joseph granted bail for SOCU fraud charges Opposition accuses Police of political harassment after Chief Scrutineer is summoned by SOCU APNU+AFC Chief Scrutineer files Court action over compilation of voters list for LGE SOCU files charges against 3 Senior Police Officers over allegations of fraud