The Special Organised Crime Unit of the Guyana Police Force has announced that it has recommended dozens of charges against Assistant Commissioner of Police, Calvin Brutus, and is now awaiting the advice of the Director of Public Prosecutions.

In a statement this morning, SOCU explained that while no criminal charges were recommended against Mr. Brutus following the completion of initial investigations into certain activities that he was allegedly involved in, a more expansive investigation was undertaken after the unit received critical information from the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU).

The Financial Intelligence Unit was established under the Anti-Money Laundering Act as an agency responsible for requesting, receiving, analysing and dissemination of suspicious transaction reports and other information relating to money laundering, terrorist financing or proceeds of crime.

The statement from SOCU indicated that the expanded investigation, which was based on information received from the FIU, was completed on the 1st October 2024 and all of the relevant files were sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions for review, advice and further action.

SOCU said, in respect of the expansive investigation, it has recommended dozens of charges and is now awaiting the legal advice of the Director of Public Prosecutions.

The Special Organised Crime Unit described as “misleading” a front page report in today’s Stabroek News that its probe of the Assistant Police Commissioner has found no evidence of a crime.

Mr. Brutus proceeded on leave earlier this year amid claims of financial improprieties linked to the Guyana Police Force’s Credit Union.

News Source understands that while that investigation involving the credit union may not have found any wrongdoing on Mr. Brutus’ behalf, it triggered the much wider investigation after millions of dollars were noticed in his bank accounts and the accounts of at least two relatives.

Reports recently surfaced that Mr. Brutus in a statement to SOCU claimed that the more than $46 million that he deposited into one of his bank accounts, represented monetary gifts that he received at his wedding last year and during the Christmas season. Mr. Brutus has not denied those reports.

In the same statement that he allegedly provided to SOCU, the Assistant Commissioner reportedly explained that over the years in the Guyana Police Force, he lived mostly in the barracks of the Force and in housing provided by the Force and he was therefore able to save millions of dollars.

In the statement, it was also claimed that in the run up to his wedding, he was told by the Acting Police Commissioner not to spend money that he had received as gifts on his wedding, as he (the Acting Commissioner) would get his friends and contacts to cover the expenses of the wedding.

A statement carrying what appears to be the signature of the Acting Police Commissioner, recently appeared in the press, indicating that the Acting Commissioner had received $8.5 million from one businessman to cover the wedding expenses of the Assistant Commissioner.

While the Special Organised Crime Unit was quick to deny ever receiving that statement from Acting Commissioner Hicken, the Acting Commissioner has remained silent on the matter.

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