Driver’s licence exams
Two members of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) were on Friday slapped with a total of 38 counts of fraud when they appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.
Police Corporal Shanice Fraser, 31, and Police Corporal Ryan Grey, 25, were not required to plead to the charges when they were read to them by Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan.
The court heard that on August 12, 2017 while in Georgetown, with intent to defraud the public, the two worked together to commit an offence by forging a total of 38 examination papers for persons who allegedly paid to acquire a driver’s licence.
According to the prosecution’s case, Grey is responsible for 20 of the examination papers while Fraser, the Traffic Chief’s Confidential Secretary, was suspected of forging 18 of the papers.
Police Prosecutor Gordon Mansfield made no objection to bail being granted, but requested that conditions be applied. The two were ordered to report to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Headquarters every Friday to the officer in charge until the conclusion of the matter.
Fraser was granted bail in the sum of $150,000 while Grey was released on $160,000 bail.
The matter will continue on August 17, 2018.
On April 18 last, major irregularities surfaced in regard to the driver’s licence’s theoretical examination. Some 174 persons were registered to write the examination, but only 106 persons presented themselves to write it; yet, 207 scripts were submitted at the conclusion of the examination, with 155 completed.
The GPF had said that since members of the Cops and Faith Community Network became involved in the invigilation of the learner driver’s theoretical examination, there have been reports of a significant reduction in the opportunities for corruption, complaints, and allegations; thus, this voluntary involvement will continue.
Meanwhile, the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) recently discovered that some unscrupulous members of its staff were working in collusion with outsiders and members of the public to issue forged drivers’ licenxes, certificates of compliance, and registrations.
While announcing that details surrounding this development would not yet be divulged, the GRA had announced that an investigation has been launched.
The GRA has also revealed that those individuals who were part of the illegal operations have been sent on leave.
Several other Police ranks were questioned in relation to the matter.
