One week after the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) had reported that on several occasions during last month thieves have raided its headquarters, a security guard attached to that entity was on Monday jailed for 36 months for the incident.
GPSU Headquarters at Shiv Chanderpaul Drive and Regent Road, Georgetown
Thirty-seven-year-old Dwayne Allen of Lot 36 West Front Road, Ruimveldt, Georgetown, appearing before Senior Magistrate Judy Latchman, admitted that between July 27th and July 30th, 2018, he broke and entered the Headquarters of the GPSU at Lot 160 Regent Road and Shiv Chanderpaul Drive, Georgetown, and stole items to the total value of $980,660.
According to the Prosecution’s case, the office was secured by employees who subsequently left the premises in the security care of the accused Allen, who was employed as a security guard.
Reports are that after the employees had left, Allen burgled the building and carted off the items, leaving the building unattended.
The court heard that closed circuit television (CCTV) footage showed Allen, accompanied by another male, breaking into the building. The father of three was later arrested and charged.
The prosecution further noted that none of the stolen items was recovered.
Before handing down sentence, Magistrate Latchman told the accused, “Even if you were working for a cent, you were employed with the organisation and you chose to steal from them. That was a bad thing.”
Alen will be spending the next 36 months in prison.
Earlier last week, at a press conference, GPSU president, Patrick Yarde, had said the robberies began on July 16, when a significant amount of cash was stolen from the accounts department.
He noted that on July 27, an undisclosed sum of cash had been withdrawn from a city bank to be used to reimburse workers for travelling purposes, among other things, since the GPSU had been expected to host an executive meeting with members from all parts of the country.
Following discovery of the missing cash, the Police were notified.
The Union’s troubles did not end there, however, as thieves again entered the Union’s office and carted off a flat screen Sony television.
“The security (rank) that left at seven (19:00hrs) indicated that he (had) left the television downstairs, and he (had) handed it over to the other security, but when he came back, the security was missing and the television downstairs was missing,” Yarde informed.
Police were again summoned on the following Monday morning, yet another robbery had occurred. This time, the thieves carted off another Sony television and documents.
Yarde said the thieves had again attempted to open the Union’s safe, as well as gain access to other offices. Damaged door edges shown to the media substantiated the GPSU story.
Yarde said he believes the criminals have inside information. “To get to my office, you have got to go through three doors; and it is amazing how precise the things people are going for. How could somebody go to a cabinet… As a matter of fact, we are even looking to see what inside information may prevail…”
The union’s president noted that, after the first incident, there had been no upgrade to the GPSU security systems, although surveillance cameras were purchased. The cameras, he had said, would soon be installed.
