Breaches in AG Report: Former APNU/AFC Region 5 REO cannot be found by Police, PAC

Former Regional Executive Officer (REO) for Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice), Ovid Morrison is said to be Missing in Action (MIA) and up to last year, was unable to be found, even by the Guyana Police Force (GPF).
This was revealed when regional officials from Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice), led by new REO Geniveve Blackman, were called before the Public Accounts Committee to respond to questions about the 2017 Audit Report.
After Morrison’s absence was observed, it was explained by PAC Chairman Jermaine Figueira that they had engaged the Police to help locate the former REO. However, this was with little success. It was explained to the PAC that the former REO was believed to be out of the jurisdiction.

“The absence was observed at the last appearance by the REO and team. And PAC would have instructed the Clerk to write the Commissioner of Police which (has relayed) that the former REO is out of the jurisdiction.”
“And no known address of his whereabouts has been made available to the Public Accounts Committee. So we’re under the impression that he’s nowhere to be found. But we’re of the view, based on the evidence provided by the Police, that the REO is out of the jurisdiction,” Figueira said.
However, this was the status quo as of December of last year. Figueira noted that further checks on the former REO were not made this year. Hence, they were unclear if he was still out of the jurisdiction. PAC member Juan Edghill meanwhile highlighted to the committee, the importance of locating the former REO.
“In the absence of any definitive information on the absence of the former REO, knowing that when we examine 2016, there were a number of issues that the accounting officer could not have answered and stated and we were no more the wiser, I would put the question to the accounting officer (Blackman), have you been briefed and are you adequately prepared to answer the queries stated before us here?”

“I don’t know if we’re conducting an exercise in futility here. And I would strongly support Mr Mahipaul, that every effort, including knowing what transpired in 2016, that the recommendations of the PAC be followed, that every effort should be made to get Morrison before the PAC to answer questions about his tenure.”
Edghill made it clear that he has serious questions for Morrison, including those that went unanswered in 2016 and are recurring issues in the 2017 report. Meanwhile, efforts by this publication to make contact with Morrison were futile.
Days after the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) took office in August of 2020, Morrison was one of seven REOs that the Local Government and Regional Development Ministry had given marching orders to.
Besides Morrison, the REOs relieved of duties were Randolph Storm from Region One (Barima-Waini), Denis Jaikarran from Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), Jennifer Ferreira Dougal from Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), Kim Stephen-Williams from Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), Carl Parker from Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Essequibo), and Orrin Gordon from Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice).
At the time, Minister Nigel Dharamlall had said that “the Ministry lost confidence in their ability to perform. Their deportment was inimical to the effective and efficient functioning of the regions they managed. Moreover, they practiced heavy partisan politics…They were void of professionalism and impartiality”. (G3)