Contractor jailed for 2 years for gambling away State funds

Doorman Henry, a contractor who was charged on Monday after fraudulently converting $1.7 million in State funds to his own use and benefit, has been jailed for two years. He was arraigned before Senior Magistrate Leron Daly at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts where he pleaded guilty to the charge.

The 44-year-old man admitted that on August 17, 2022 at Main Street, Georgetown, being solely entrusted by the Amerindian Affairs Ministry with $1.7 million in cash to purchase materials, he failed to do so, converting the sum to his own use and benefit.
After Henry received the money from the Toshao of Yarakita Village, Region One (Barima-Waini), to purchase building materials to construct a hall at the Yarakita Primary School, he went to a casino in Georgetown where he gambled away the money over a three-day period.
He later went to the Ruimveldt Police Station where he made a report of him being robbed of the money by armed men. After conducting investigations, Police found that Henry’s report was untrue, confronted him and he admitted to making a false report.
Magistrate Daly, after considering Henry’s early guilty plea as well as the serious nature and prevalence of the offence, sentenced him to two years’ imprisonment. (G1)