After nearly five months, Adonika Aulder, the wife of Former Assistant Police Commissioner Calvin Brutus, has yet to physically return to Guyana to face money laundering charges before the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.
Aulder was granted court permission to travel overseas in December 2024 to seek emergency medical attention, as she was heavily pregnant at the time. The ruling was handed down by Acting Chief Magistrate Faith McGusty, who had ordered her to return for a court appearance on December 18, 2024. Since then, however, Aulder has only appeared before the court virtually in relation to the proceedings.
She is facing two counts of money laundering, and is accused of knowingly acquiring $352,082,315 from her company’s bank account at Republic Bank in December 2023, allegedly funds derived from criminal activity. The matter remains under active investigation.
Adonika Aulder
On Thursday, Aulder once again appeared via Zoom as the case continued before Magistrate McGusty. She appeared alongside her husband, Former Assistant Commissioner Brutus, and Kevin George, who were both present in court, as the court sought statements and further disclosure.
During the hearing, the Magistrate raised concerns regarding Aulder’s continued absence and requested clarity on when she is expected to physically return to the jurisdiction. In response, Defence Attorney Dominick Bess told the court that the team is in possession of a receipt for a United States (US) passport application. He did not disclose whether the application was made in Aulder’s name or on behalf of another person, a point that remains unconfirmed in the public record.
The prosecution requested that a copy of the receipt be tendered to the court, to which Magistrate McGusty agreed. The Magistrate also asked for a timeline regarding the completion of the passport process and the soonest possible date Aulder could return to Guyana.
Upon receiving permission to speak, Brutus told the court that the process could take “six to eight weeks” and that appointments were being scheduled based on available dates. Magistrate McGusty questioned the duration and ordered that, copies of the receipt be submitted. The matter was subsequently adjourned to May 16, 2025.
Meanwhile, the court also heard submissions related to Brutus and his co-accused, Kevin George, who are jointly facing 261 fraud-related charges. These charges reportedly stem from financial misconduct involving falsified claims, transactions, and alleged abuse of public funds.
During Thursday’s session, the prosecution admitted that several crucial bank documents are still outstanding and have not yet been presented to the court.
Attorney Everton Lammy-Singh, who is representing Brutus, challenged the state’s readiness and questioned the fairness of requiring his client to appear frequently without sufficient evidence being disclosed.
“They should not be charging anyone if they don’t have their evidence in order,” Lammy stated.
He therefore requested that the court reduce Brutus’s physical court appearances to once per month. The Magistrate agreed to the request, given the status of the proceedings and delays in disclosure.
This high-profile case has drawn national attention, given Brutus’s senior role in the Guyana Police Force (GPF). Brutus, a former contender for the post of Police Commissioner, has long maintained his innocence. The charges against him, George, and Aulder stem from what investigators allege to be an elaborate scheme involving suspicious financial transactions and possible abuse of office.
The investigation began in late 2023 after flagged financial activity and an internal probe into various financial irregularities. Aulder’s company, which has not been publicly named in court documents, is believed to be central to some of the transactions now under scrutiny.
The court is expected to examine substantial volumes of banking and financial evidence, once disclosure is complete.
