PPP will not tolerate corruption in GPF or anywhere else – Jagdeo on probe into Brutus

Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo has stated that the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Administration will not tolerate corruption and has warned that it has no intention of covering up the misdeeds of persons who may think they are closely affiliated with officials in the Government.
“Let me make it clear… we support the [Guyana] Police Force, we support the leadership of the Police Force, we support them to do their work, but they must comply with the laws of this country. The PPP will not tolerate corruption in the Police Force or anywhere else and when we find corruption in the Police Force or anywhere else, there will be no attempt to cover it up. So, if you believe that you have a special relationship with the Government and that we will, pursuant to that relationship, cover up your misdeeds, you have it wrong. You don’t know the PPP,” he declared.
Jagdeo, who is also the General Secretary of the ruling Party, was at the time responding to questions concerning the active investigation by the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) into alleged financial crimes committed by a senior member of the Guyana Police Force (GPF).
It was initially alleged that Deputy Commissioner of Police (ag), Calvin Brutus, reportedly deposited $15 million into his account at the Police Credit Union on December 15, 2023. The money was allegedly returned to him the following day and the source of funds was given as contributions from before, during, and after his wedding.

SOCU, the white-collar arm of the Police Force, has been probing the matter since July, but has found no acts of criminality in that case against Brutus, who is substantively an Assistant Commissioner of Police but was serving as acting Deputy Commissioner of Administration.
In a statement on Wednesday, however, SOCU said it had received “critical information” from the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) that sparked a “new and more expansive investigation”.
Based on reports that widened probe has unearthed over $40 million in the bank account of the senior cop and at least two close relatives. Reports are that Brutus has claimed that the funds are wedding gifts.
SOCU wrapped up its investigations on October 1, 2024, and all the relevant files were sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DDP) for review, advice and further action. According to the body, “In respect of this latter expansive investigation, SOCU recommended dozens of charges. SOCU now awaits the legal advice of the Director of Public Prosecutions.”
Meanwhile, Brutus, who had been on administrative leave since July, has recently filed a constitutional motion against the Government, claiming, among other things, that the executive was influencing the course of the investigation – something which the Vice President dismissed.
In fact, Jagdeo said the Opposition had initially claimed that the senior cop had close ties with the Government and had even suggested that an external body investigate so that there was no influence from the State.
“We made it clear at that time that the investigation will be professional and that there will be no interference from the executive to steer the investigation either way and that the chips may fall where they may… In the impartial investigations done by an arm of the Police Force, there is a recommendation that went to the DPP to lay multiple charges against the individual for multiple breaches of the law.
“I see the particular individual, now, filing a constitutional motion, claiming that somehow the executive, the same executive is influencing the course of the investigations. APNU was saying something different, they were saying we would cover up what he was doing. He is now saying we are influencing it to lay charges against him… We have no interest, whatsoever, in that but if you did illegal things, you will face the consequences. And from all that I’ve read, a lot of wrong things took place, a lot of illegalities took place,” the Vice President noted.
According to Jagdeo, all the details of those “wrongdoings” and “illegalities” will be revealed when the State responds to Brutus’s constitutional motion in the High Court.
“Trust me, our affidavit to respond… may not be beneficial to the particular individual, because we will go into great detail about what our findings were in the procurement system when he was heading the Administration of the Police Force… I don’t want to say anything on the matter, [but] let me also make it clear here today, that this Government never sanctioned a policy where private individuals and businessmen could pay for the birthdays and weddings of Policemen and other public officials. In fact, we think it’s reprehensible,” the Vice President asserted. (G8)