GEA Board puzzled over “challenges” experienced by SOCU

Fuel purchase probe

One day after agents of the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) swooped down on the Guyana Energy Agency (GEA) as part of an ongoing probe, the Board of Directors of the Agency is puzzled over “challenges” that the investigative body claims it has faced.

Head of SOCU, Assistant Police Commissioner Sydney James told reporters outside GEA’s Quamina Street, Georgetown office on Thursday that his team was at the Energy Agency in relation to two investigations which SOCU has been mandated to probe.
“One relates to the forensic audit of the Guyana Energy Agency and the second one relates to an investigation, which was done by the Ministry of the Presidency with respect to malpractices and mismanagement in the purchase of fuel by the Guyana Oil (Company) and the Guyana Energy Agency,” he said.
James noted that they had to obtain a search warrant from a Magistrate to go to the office of the GEA after experiencing some “challenges” in obtaining relevant documents.
“We did ask (for the documents/files), but there were some challenges; that’s all I care to comment on,” he said to reporters.
According to the GEA Board, while it respects the mandate and functions of SOCU and will continue to cooperate with the Unit, it is concerned over the execution of the “highly publicised” search warrant.
“The Board further notes for the record and in the interest of transparency, that at no time was the GEA reluctant, unavailable, or uncooperative in the submission and handover of the requested documents,” it said in a statement on Friday.
It went on to point out that after receiving a letter dated October 4, 2017 from SOCU requesting a list of information, the GEA provided all required documentation within a two-week period, save and except for documents and vouchers in excess of 2000 files for which the GEA, in its response, noted the potential impracticality due to the sheer volume and invited the investigating team to visit the GEA office at their convenience to review the files in totality.
In its response via letter to SOCU dated October 19, 2017, the GEA communicated that “With respect to point (d) of your letter…. the documents requested are quite voluminous and are the financial records of the Agency, which must be kept for the purposes of audit. Full access to these documents at the GEA’s headquarters will be granted to the investigating team, who can be accommodated in the Agency’s boardroom as was done during the course of the forensic audit.”
To this end, the GEA Board believes that while SOCU has to carry out its mandate, the search warrant was not necessary in this instance.
Nevertheless, the Board said it was in communication with the SOCU Head to enquire about the reported ‘challenges’ faced in obtaining information required, as well as whether the information provided was sufficient.
Having provided those files in question, the Board said reaffirmed the cooperation of the GEA in any and all ongoing investigations.