Home Top Stories Calvin Brutus skips PSC Tribunal on misuse of GPF welfare funds, record...
…doctor recalls medical certificate issued for back pain, muscle strain
The proceedings of the Police Service Commission’s Tribunal have been delayed after Assistant Commissioner of Police, Calvin Brutus, failed to attend the scheduled hearing on January 22, 2025.
In a release to the media on Thursday, Secretary of the Tribunal, Hugh Park, said the body was convened to investigate allegations of misconduct and breaches of discipline against Brutus, and cited his absence as a significant hindrance to its operations. According to the Police Service Commission (PSC), the tribunal, chaired by Shoshanna Lall, with Keoma Griffith and Seelall Persaud as members, was established under the authority of the Constitution of Guyana and the Police (Discipline) Act, Chapter 17:01.
The disciplinary charges against Brutus stem from alleged violations committed between August 2020 and July 2024, including improper financial instructions and falsification of records.
On the day of the hearing, the tribunal received a letter from Mr. Brutus, citing a medical certificate dated January 21, 2025 which declared him unfit for work for 14 days due to back pain and muscle strain. In that letter, he requested a hearing date beyond February 2, 2025. However, his medical claim came under scrutiny when the tribunal summoned the issuing doctor, who testified that the symptoms described by Brutus were not severe, and did not preclude his attendance, either in person or virtually.
The Tribunal’s release stated that, on Thursday, the doctor formally recalled the medical certificate, stating it appeared to have been obtained by Brutus to evade the tribunal. Further, the doctor noted that he was unaware of the scheduled tribunal hearing at the time of issuing the certificate.
Non-compliance
According to the release, despite being served a summons at his residence at Eve Leary, Brutus failed to appear at the rescheduled hearing on January 23, 2025, nor did any legal representative attend on his behalf. The tribunal has thus deemed his actions deliberate attempts to evade accountability, and has
re-issued a summons for him to appear on January 27, 2025, either in person or virtually. The importance of adhering to the timeline has been emphasised, as the tribunal’s mandate expires 28 days after its commencement on January 22, unless extended by the PSC.
The charges the tribunal would be looking into against Brutus, who is currently before the court, include the improper use of Welfare Funds. In that charge, he allegedly directed that payment of $13.67M be made from the Guyana Police Force’s Welfare Fund for goods procured by the Government, and he falsified the records thereof.
He also allegedly falsified the records for transactions done at the Quartermaster Stores to purport that $101.43 million worth of goods were delivered.
The Tribunal’s release on Thursday has stated that the tribunal is committed to upholding natural justice and the rule of law, and will proceed in the discharge of its functions with or without the cooperation of Brutus.
The Tribunal has also stated that it intends to complete its inquiry within the allocated timeframe, in order to submit a written report to the PSC.
Legal proceedings against Assistant Police Commissioner Calvin Brutus began in October 2024, when he was initially charged with 30 counts of financial crimes, including misconduct in public office, larceny as a public officer, and money laundering.
He was placed on bail totalling $6.2 million after his appearance in a Georgetown Magistrate’s court; but in November 2024, Brutus faced an additional 201 charges related to liability of an official, thereby bringing to 231 the total number of charges he faces. The court has imposed an additional $10.05 million in bail, bringing the cumulative bail amount to $16.25 million.
These charges stem from a SOCU investigation into alleged financial crimes involving hundreds of millions of dollars linked to the Guyana Police Force (GPF).
In December 2024, SOCU filed an application to have Brutus’s bail revoked, alleging a breach of his bail conditions. However, SOCU withdrew the application later that month without providing a reason.
In January 2025, Brutus’s wife, Adonika Aulder, appeared before Magistrate McGusty via Zoom following concerns over her failure to return to Guyana within the stipulated time, after travelling abroad for medical purposes.
Brutus has denied all the allegations he faces.
