Assistant Superintendent Kurt Smith and Superintendent Lorraine Saul – members of the Guyana Police Force – were jointly charged at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on Monday for two counts of fraud.
Lorraine Saul
Smith appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan where he was not required to plead to the indictable charges while Saul is yet to appear in court. Saul, the court was told, is out of the jurisdiction.
The first charge stated that between December 18, 2020, and December 28, 2020, at Georgetown, they conspired with each other and other persons while being officers of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) to falsify a payment in the sum of $1,350,000 to show that meals were supplied to ranks of the Riot Unit training during December 1, 2020, and December 15, 2020.
It was further alleged that between December 18, 2020, and December 28, 2020, at Georgetown, they conspired with each other and other persons while being officers of the GDF to falsify a payment account in the sum of $465,000 to show that meals were supplied to ranks of the Riot Unit training during December 1, 2020, and December 15, 2020.
Kurt Smith
Smith was represented by Attorney-at-Law Mark Waldron, who in his bail application told the court his client was executing his duties in signing the documents. He added that Smith was not aware of any shady transactions.
As such, he requested bail in a reasonable sum for his client. Smith was released on bail in the sum of $200,000. He is expected to make his next court appearance on May 14.
Last month, retired Assistant Commissioner Kevin Adonis and three other serving members of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) were slapped with a $19 million larceny charge.
The men were arraigned before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts and were not required to plead to the indictment.
Apart from Adonis of Stewartville, West Coast Demerara (WCD); the others charged were Sergeant Jermaine Fraser of 4116 Phase One Westminster, West Bank Demerara (WBD); Sergeant Michael Corbin of First Avenue, La Parfaite Harmonie, WBD, and Corporal Rawl Haynes of Hydronie, East Bank Essequibo (EBE).
Particulars of the first charge stated that between March 26, 2019, and March 29, 2019, at Georgetown, Adonis, Fraser, Corbin, and Haynes conspired with each other and persons unknown while being public officers employed by GPF to steal $19,030,767
It is alleged that Corbin, on March 26, 2019, at GPF’s Finance Office, input electronic data, that is to say, a payment voucher entry for $19,030,767, resulting in inauthentic data, with the intent that it be considered or acted upon by the Finance Ministry Integrated Financial Management Information System (IFMIS) staff as if it was authentic, regardless of whether or not the said data was directly readable or intelligible.
According to the final charge, Haynes, on March 29, 2019, at Georgetown, while being a public officer employed by the Guyana Police Force, stole 19,030,767. On the first charge, the ranks were instructed to post $150,000 bail each. Corbin was released on $100,000 bail on the computer-related fraud charge, while Haynes was granted $50,000 bail on the last charge. (G15)
