Senior Police officers slapped with more fraud charges

Police Finance Officer Marcelene Washington, former Deputy Finance Officer Roxanne Griffith-Adams, and former Deputy Commander of Division 4B, Lorraine Saul, have all been jointly charged by the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) for conspiracy to commit a felony. In additional, Saul has been charged separately for the offence of falsification of account by an officer.

Police Finance Officer Marcelene Washington

Griffith-Adams made her appearance in Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan’s court at the Georgetown Magistrates Courts on Thursday, and was not required to plead to the indictable charge of conspiracy to commit a felony, contrary to Section 34 of the Criminal Law (Offences) Act Chapter 8:01.
She was represented by Attorney-at-law Patrice Henry, who made a successful bail application on her behalf. The Chief Magistrate granted her bail in the sum of $150,000 and adjourned the matter to May 14, 2021.
Saul and Washington were not present in court, since they are reportedly out of the jurisdiction.
The Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) has alleged that between Monday, November 2, 2020 and Tuesday, November 24, 2020, with intent to defraud, Saul, Washington and Griffith-Adams conspired with each other and with other persons, while being officers employed by the Guyana Police Force, to falsify an account, being a feeding account in the sum of $1,152,000.

Former Deputy Finance Officer Roxanne Griffith-Adams

It has been reported that, based on investigations conducted, Saul, who was stationed at the Felix Austin Police College (FAPC) Mess as the officer-in-charge, caused a feeding account to be prepared on November 2, 2020 for meals supplied to officers and inspectors who performed fixed point duties at the Tactical Service Unit during the period October 16, 2020 to October 31, 2020 to the tune of $ 1,152,000.
The account was processed at the Police Finance Office and payments were made for the amount mentioned in the account. Washington and Adams allegedly colluded with Saul to defraud, as they authorised the payment when in fact no such duty existed and no such meals were distributed to ranks as stated on the accounts.
These charges stemmed from a massive investigation being conducted by SOCU in relation to over $300 million fraud allegedly committed at the Police Finance Office by several high-ranking officers of the Guyana Police Force.
Earlier in the month, Saul and Assistant Police Superintendent Kurt Smith were arraigned for fraud at the Georgetown Magistrates Courts. The charges the face alleged that Saul falsified and inflated accounts for meals provided by the Brickdam Police Station’s Other Ranks Mess for reimbursement at the Police Finance Department.

Deputy Commander of Division 4B, Lorraine Saul

It was reported that Saul prepared an account and petty contract dated December 18, 2020 for meals purportedly supplied to ranks who performed duties at ‘A’ Division Riot Unit Training between December 1 and 15, 2020 to the amount of $1,350,000 when in fact no such training was done for that period.
Further, it was found that Saul also prepared another account and petty contract dated the same dates for meals purportedly supplied to ranks who performed fixed- point duties at the Georgetown Prison between December 1 and 15, 2020 to the amount of $ 648,000; however, she inflated the number of ranks and amount of meals on this account by the sum of $465,000.
SOCU has stated that Smith colluded with Saul to defraud, and authorised the payments when in fact neither such training nor the amount of feeding took place; and as Finance Officer (ag), he knowingly authorised the payments from the Government’s funds.

Assistant Superintendent of Police Kurt Smith