Court orders forfeiture of $10M from businessman in major bribery probe
Businessman Naitram Outar, also known as ‘Sweetman’
High Court Judge Justice Peter Hugh ordered the forfeiture of $10 million from businessman Naitram Outar, also known as ‘Sweetman’, for his involvement in fraud, bribery, and money laundering.
The Court directed that the funds be forfeited to the Special Organized Crime Unit (SOCU), ruling that the sum constituted tainted property and the proceeds of crime. The judge further ordered that the funds be paid into the Consolidated Fund, in accordance with Section 82 of the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Act, Cap. 10:11.
The confiscation stems from a search conducted on July 15, 2024, at about 14:00h, when SOCU officers, supported by ranks of the Guyana Police Force (GPF), searched Outar’s property at Lot 242 Second Avenue, Block X, Diamond Housing Scheme, East Bank Demerara. During the search, SOCU discovered $10 million, which Outar failed to account for satisfactorily. The money was subsequently seized and detained as suspected proceeds of crime.
A money laundering investigation was launched, which revealed that in May 2024, Outar conspired with another city businessman interested in purchasing two acres of land at Ogle for G$50,000,000. The deal allegedly involved individuals associated with the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CHPA). According to investigators, Outar arranged the transaction for $40,000, with the remaining $10M earmarked as a kickback.
As the investigation continues into others allegedly involved in the scheme, Deputy Commissioner and Head of SOCU, Fazil Karimbaksh, issued a stern warning to those seeking to corrupt the system. He emphasised that SOCU remains committed to dismantling illicit networks and bringing perpetrators to justice.
SOCU was represented in court by attorney-at-law and prosecutor David Brathwaite.a
