Guyana president orders police investigation into money 'discrepancies'

President Jagdeo

by Norman 'Gus' Thomas
Caribbean Net News Special Regional Correspondent

Monday, January 17, 2005

GEORGETOWN, Guyana: Guyana's President Bharrat Jagdeo has set an immediate police probe into Wildlife Division funds said to have gone missing by the Auditor General, Caribbean Net News learnt late last week.

The President gave directions to the Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr. Roger Luncheon to “immediately request” the Police Force to launch a full investigation into the Wildlife Division receipts and payments for the period July 1998 to June 2002 as contained in the Report of the Auditor General’s Department for fiscal year ended December 31, 2003.

Information reaching Caribbean Net News indicates that the Auditor General’s Department Report, which was handed to the Speaker of the National Assembly for presentation to the House, stated, among other things, that “the cash book that the Finance Officer introduced, however, commenced with a balance of $144.074 million, giving a difference of $49.338 million.”

“When asked how she arrived at this balance, the Finance Officer stated that the figure was given to her by a former employee of the EPA”.

The Guyana Wildlife Division was under the direct control of the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) until a fraud was detected in 2002 by the Office of the President and the Police Force investigated and instituted charges against a number of officials.

Speaking at his weekly post-Cabinet press conference, Dr. Luncheon recalled that the Auditor General had disclosed in 2002 that the cash book was absent within the Wildlife Division.

Luncheon went on to add that for the Auditor General to disclose that the sum of money - some $50 million - was not accounted for in the absence of the cash book for the period 1998 to 2002 was “pure speculation”.

“Fraud was clearly committed, a member of staff was charged, dismissed and brought before the courts and therefore the issue is up in the air right now,” Luncheon told the press.

The Press Chief, however, indicated that those officers implicated in the scam will be given a chance to respond to the accusations against them.

The Wildlife Division was last year dogged by reports of illegal exports of endangered species, including rare dolphins, and a probe by the Auditor General’s department ordered by the President cleared the Office of the President of any involvement.

When contacted, officers at Police Headquarters at Brickdam told Caribbean Net News that they have heard of the Presidents orders, but declined further comment.

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