Money laundering case: “I really hope I don’t have to” take action – Magistrate warns Brutus’ wife over absence

…blames 5-month absence on delay in obtaining newborn’s US passport

The prolonged absence of Adonika Aulder, the wife of embattled former Assistant Police Commissioner Calvin Brutus, took centre stage during a hearing on Friday at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court, where Prosecutor David Braithwaite expressed the state’s “serious concern” over her failure to return to the jurisdiction after being granted leave by the court some five months ago.

Aulder, who is jointly charged with Brutus in a multi-million-dollar money laundering conspiracy, was granted permission in December 2024 by acting chief Magistrate Faith McGusty to travel overseas, reportedly for medical reasons related to her pregnancy. However, despite assurances to the court that she would return within a reasonable timeframe, Aulder has yet to appear in person. She has instead attended proceedings virtually, citing delays, first pregnancy complications, and now in obtaining a United States (US) passport for her newborn.
Prosecutor Braithwaite, before Magistrate McGusty, raised the matter early in the hearing, calling on the court to address what he described as a breach of its directive.
“The prosecution and the State are very much concerned in relation to the co-accused person not being within the jurisdiction,” Braithwaite told the court. He reminded Magistrate McGusty that permission had been granted for Aulder to travel around December 17 or 18, 2024, and that she was expected to return after giving birth in March 2025.

“Today is the 16th [of May], that is approximately five months… The co-accused has never returned to the jurisdiction, which is in direct breach of the court’s direction and the leniency of this court,” he said.
Braithwaite underscored that Aulder faces two indictable counts of money laundering and that the state cannot proceed without her presence. He urged the court to pronounce on the next course of action if the accused continues to remain absent.
“We want to know what is the court’s position is,” he said. “I know the co-accused would have asked for six weeks, today is approximately the fourth, so there are two outstanding weeks. But in the absence of the return of this person, maybe we can have some update.”
However, Aulder, appearing virtually, told the court that the passport application process was still ongoing. When asked if she had an option to collect the passport in person, Aulder replied that the document would be mailed to her.

Magistrate warns
Magistrate McGusty responded that she would allow the full six-week period to lapse before taking any definitive action, but signaled that other measures could be considered. “I believe I did mention, and I’m not sure if you were here, that there was another option, and I was begged not to consider that option. I really hope I don’t have to. But if I have to, I will,” she said.

Prosecutor Braithwaite, while acknowledging the unique circumstances of Aulder’s medical situation, reiterated that five months had passed and that such processes, under normal circumstances, do not take that long. “There is no intelligence that this process in its ordinary course takes this long,” he noted. He asked for it to be formally noted that the accused remains in breach.
Also raised during the hearing was the issue of incomplete disclosure of key evidence by the prosecution including the Welfare Fund book.
Prosecutor Braithwaite responded that the prosecution had disclosed all the statements in its possession, but confirmed that the Welfare Fund book was not among them. “We don’t have it in our possession,” he said.
Magistrate McGusty weighed in on the matter, clarifying that if the prosecution does not possess a particular document, the defence is entitled to obtain and present it independently.
Magistrate McGusty adjourned the matter to July 2.

Charges
The charges against Calvin Brutus and his co-accused Adonika Aulder, Kevin George, Corwin Nicholson, and Asif Zafarally, stem from a major investigation by the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) into financial irregularities and procurement fraud within the Guyana Police Force (GPF).
Brutus, once the Assistant Commissioner overseeing administration is accused of directing police finance officers to process payments to suppliers for goods that were never delivered. These transactions, investigators say, amounted to large-scale fraud and involved forged quotations, fictitious supplier invoices, and deliberate misappropriation of public funds.
The probe revealed that funds totaling over $800 million passed through accounts belonging to Brutus, Aulder, their underage son, and their associated companies Business Enterprise, Premium Supplies and Logistics, and Western Logistics. Aulder is alleged to have received over $473 million in laundered proceeds between December 2023 and July 2024. Brutus has been charged with over 240 offences to date, including misconduct in public office, obtaining money by false pretence, and money laundering. He remains out on bail.
Earlier this year, SOCU filed 21 additional charges against him, further widening the scope of the allegations. Meanwhile, multiple other officers and associates have also been charged, with the investigation expected to lead to further revelations.
As the matter progresses, the court is expected to determine whether the case should proceed indictably to the High Court. The prosecution told the court that while a new People’s Collectives Act was expected to take effect on June 1, 2025, this matter, being a pre-existing case, may still be treated under previous legislative guidelines.
The next hearing on July 2 will focus on submissions by both prosecution and defence on how the matter will proceed and what further evidence is to be disclosed.