Eccles taxi driver arrested for house lots scam

The Guyana Police Force has arrested a 39-year-old taxi driver of Eccles New Scheme, East Bank Demerara, in connection with allegations of fraud.
David Singh is currently in police custody, and the GPF is urging other victims who believe they have been defrauded by him to report to the Brickdam Police Station.
According to the police, Singh’s method of operation involved obtaining money from persons by falsely promising that he could secure house lots for them through the Housing Ministry. Singh reportedly used the names of ministry officials and police officers, leveraging his past as a former member of the Guyana Police Force to intimidate his victims into handing over money.

Singh already has two similar cases before the court, and new allegations have emerged, suggesting that he may have defrauded multiple individuals in this manner. Authorities are continuing to investigate the extent of his activities, and they encourage anyone who has fallen victim to his scams to come forward.
The police continue to gather information as they work to uncover the full scope of Singh’s alleged fraudulent activities. Victims are urged to contact the Brickdam Police Station for further assistance and to ensure their claims are properly documented.
The police investigation into Singh’s alleged activities has sparked a broader probe into fraudulent practices within the Housing Ministry.

Fraudulent actions
Following the emergence of these allegations, Minister Susan Rodrigues had confirmed at a press conference that one employee of the ministry had been dismissed based on evidence linking them to similar fraudulent actions.
The employee, a young woman, was found to have solicited money from citizens in exchange for fast-tracking their housing applications.
“The young lady was implicated in the matter and she was taken down to the station for questioning. Based on what was relayed to us and investigations, she was involved in these illegal acts, which resulted in her services being terminated,” Rodrigues stated.
While the Ministry of Housing has been receiving complaints about persons especially employee malpractices in the issuance of land titles, Rodrigues had said that most of these complaints were without sufficient evidence.
“While we receive complaints regarding malpractices by employees when issuing land titles, these are usually without evidence. As such, there’s little the Ministry of Housing or the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) can do to address these complaints since they are just allegations,” she had said.